#THE ECLIPSE AND THE MAUSOLEUMS

[miquella-everywhere]

LITERALLY HOW

HOW DO YOU FUCK UP THIS BADLY

[concoulor]

something about connor regularly going to see logan’s body & being comforted how “it’s like he’s not even there” and then almost happily suggesting he gets the top bunk in the mausoleum

[death-rebirth-senshi]

Elden Ring sun

Hey did Radagon hooking up with Rennala have anything to do with wanting to make an eclipse

[ghostofashina]

btw, while making a death build, occurred to me the prince of death flare is very similar to messmer's flames in its patterns: golden and shadow glowing within the flames

and then reading i discovered it is really called "prince of death flames", godwyn produced flames of his own in his death!

and it's different from the common death sorceries with greyish/b&w flames we see: helphen's steeple and death poker, for example, deals with frostbite damage as well. even the spirit swords we find in shadow of erdtree, casting half of the mending rune, is more similar to the necromancy of garris, which makes us think more of ranni (sorceries) rather than godwyn (faith), after all she had her own half of rune as well.

while for the prince of death flare, as we find in the eclipse shotel, we also see the mausoleum knights wielding it like messmer's soldiers. and yes, we know there were other soulless demigods, but godwyn was the first one, whatever is this flames, he is the bearer, it comes from him as far as i can tell.

so well, it's fair to assume the prince of death, aka godwyn, does have his own flames as his brother. and that's not the only pattern they share, considering the animalistic visuals of their curses and all the eyes present in both base serpent and death roots.

[shade-of-vermillion]

Gonna be honest. The DLC ending isn’t as out of left field as people think it is. (Spoilers under cut)

Yes, even the Radahn part. There is some evidence for it in the base game. Specifically, we know Miquella had or has ties to the Carian Royal family. We can infer that from two pieces of evidence, 1) Loretta’s presence in the Haligtree and 2) the description for the Miquellan knight’s sword. In the case of Loretta, you could of course make the argument that she sought him out on her own while looking for a place for the albinaurics, but with the sword, I think to go as far as to model a sword intended to be given to his knights after Caria’s implies he had contact with or at least a great deal of respect for someone from that house.

I’ve seen people in the past posit this as evidence he and Ranni were in cahoots but frankly I don’t believe their goals are aligned even in the slightest. Ranni after all believes that the best path forward is to reject godhood utterly and leave the lands between so that mortals can decide their fates on their own, whereas Miquella in the base game has literally been growing his own Erdtree, a new system to replace the old rather than a rejection of the system altogether.

I know there has also been a lot of upset about how Godwyn may have made more sense as his lord consort, however I believe Radahn was chosen specifically as a way to save Godwyn. In the base game through exploring Castle Sol and looking through the descriptions for the gear of mausoleum knights we discover the possibility of returning soulless demigods to life via an eclipse and find out that Miquella was working towards making one happen to bring Godwyn back. Radahn is shown as capable of binding the stars to prevent Ranni’s destiny from coming to fruition. He could probably force the moon into position in front of the sun if he wanted. If Miquella’s goal really was to restore Godwyn with an eclipse it makes a lot of sense that he would tap Radahn to force one to happen.

As for the Mohg thing, come on now. Gideon gives you the recipe for the bewitching branch the second you tell him you visited Mohgwyn palace. If it was just because Miquella was there he could’ve given us sleep pots or sleep arrows or maybe one of the rings of light spells. But no, he gives us the bewitching branch. How the hell else am I supposed to take that.

Honestly I also don’t think this ruins Miquella’s writing. I think it just makes him more interesting in the long run. He does have good intentions, but pursuing godhood requires dirtying your hands. I also don’t think this undermines his connection to Malenia or his drive to see both of them healed. I just think he’s more complex than people thought he was at first brush.

[averagemrfox]

Saying this with the preface that I haven’t beaten the dlc yet and don’t know all of miquella’s dlc dialog and don’t want spoilers in the tags or comments please.

But one common criticism of the dlc I’ve seen is why Radahn? Why not Godwyn? Everything in the base game showed that Miquella and Godwyn had a stronger relationship… but. I think that’s the point? Radahn was Plan B. Thanks to Ranni.

I think Miquella was always going to charm one of his siblings into being his consort but Godwyn was the first and easiest choice. The lore suggests they’re close. And then the Night of Black Knives happened and Godwyn was killed. Only not completely. Just his soul was:

Cursemark of Death: Cursemark carved into the discarded flesh of Ranni the Witch. Also known as the half-wheel wound of the centipede. 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

As long as Godwyn remained dead in soul alone Miquella couldn’t enact his plan to make Godwyn his consort:

Dialog from a ghost in Castle Sol: "Lord Miquella, forgive me. The sun has not been swallowed. Our prayers were lacking. Your comrade remains soulless... I will never set my eyes upon it now... Your divine Haligtree."

Dialog from a ghost in Castle Sol 2: “...Ohh great sun! Frigid sun of Sol! Surrender yourself to the eclipse! Grant life to the soulless bones!”

Golden Epitaph: A sword made to commemorate the death of Godwyn the Golden, first of the demigods to die. Infused with the humble prayer of a young boy; "O brother, lord brother, please die a true death."

The Castle Sol stuff does imply a lot more of a direct connection to Miquella alone and not the demigods or the Lands Between as a whole, except references to the eclipse can also be found from items drops from the mausoleum knights:

Eclipse Crest Heater Shield: "The sun in eclipse is said to be the symbol of the Wandering Mausoleum where the soulless demigods slumber."

Cause you know. “Our home bathed in rays of gold.” The sun. An eclipse blocks out the light of the sun. The rays of light of the Golden Order - the thing that confined the Rune of Death and makes the demigods immortal. It’s probably why we find a Wandering Mausoleum outside of Castle Sol. Just a further attempt at protecting what was left of Godwyn but his body was already corrupted by Death

So now Miquella’s plan is ruined, the Elden Ring is shattered, all the demigods are now vulnerable to death and making moves to claim their own piece of the shattered Elden Ring. Miquella uses Mohg (Mohgwyn Dynasty) and picks the next best brother to Godwyn, Radahn, who always idolized Godfrey anyway and was a skilled commander. Also possibly the only option left out of all the siblings? Wouldn’t be shocked if the reason Malenia fought him was to weaken him for the purpose of Miquella’s plan. Malenia after all was out of the running for all of this because of her curse, but was still totally devoted to Miquella. Whether by choice or by his influence idk.

Anyway TL:DR since this is an unorganized mess:

Miquella wanted to use Godwyn as his consort, Ranni enacted her plan and Godwyn was killed only in soul not body, Miquella was forced to used Radahn and Mohg as a plan b since Godwyn was unable to achieve a true death

[blaiddfailcam]

You guys are killing me. This ghost is and always has been referring to the demigods within the Wandering Mausoleums as Marika's "unwanted children." The Eclipse Crest shields only further illustrate this. Impaler's Catacombs isn't even within sight of the Church of Pilgrimage.... crasiness

[slavonicrhapsody]

Hello ! I’ve seen a post mentioning the demigods of the Mausoleum as well as the ones killed by Vyke, and while as the person say that this does have potential for oc writers, I can’t help but wonder who they might be related to. (Like seriously I can’t stop wondering the relation between 9 dead demigods and the demigods we know about as well as the Elden Lords and Marika). So I became so desperate that I finally dare to ask other people their thoughts about it (my family doesn’t even know a little bit of Elden Ring Lore or just forget about it).

Hello! OK this topic has actually stumped me for so long, so I finally got around to looking into the wandering mausoleums and wow is it weird and complicated. 

Lets get the basic facts out of the way… Basically, the wandering mausoleums house the bodies of “the soulless demigods:” 

“The mausoleum prowls. Cradling the soulless demigod. O Marika, Queen Eternal. He is your unwanted child.” (Spirit NPC)

“The sun in eclipse is said to be the symbol of the Wandering Mausoleum where the soulless demigods slumber.” (Eclipse Crest Heater Shield)

The mausoleums’ bells are said to ring "in constant mourning for the soulless demigods.” (Mausoleum Surcoat)

The mausoleums (well, most of them... stay tuned) are defended by Mausoleum Knights, undead warriors who “willingly beheaded themselves so that they may serve their masters in death.” (Mausoleum Knight enemy description) The mausoleum knight Lhutel the Headless earned herself the honor of Erdtree burial for this sacrifice. These knights carry shields bearing the symbol of the Eclipse:

“The eclipsed sun, drained of color, is the protective star of soulless demigods. It aids the mausoleum knights by keeping Destined Death at bay.” (Eclipse Crest Greatshield)

We also know that Castle Sol and Miquella are connected to all of this, because the inhabitants of Castle Sol seem to worship the eclipse… there are two spirit NPCs in the area who say these things:

“Ohh, great sun! Frigid sun of Sol! Surrender yourself to the eclipse! Grant life to the soulless bones!”

“Lord Miquella, forgive me. The sun has not been swallowed. Our prayers were lacking. Your comrade remains soulless... I will never set my eyes upon it now... Your divine Haligtree…”

There is some kind of operation to “give life” back to the soulless demigods of the walking mausoleums centered at Castle Sol. 

So who are these dead guys??? It does seem that they were killed on the Night of the Black Knives… Godwyn the Golden’s murder was said to be “the first recorded Death of a demigod in all history” (via Rogier), so we can assume that these guys were also killed by Destined Death, wielded by the Black Knife assassins. I think they are considered “soulless” because, since they were killed by Destined Death, they died in both body and soul… Ranni set up her ritual splitting the cursemark of death so that she would die only in body and keep her soul, and Godwyn would die only in soul and his body stayed alive, to everyone’s horror… so a killing with no special ritual would just kill both aspects of a person, and prevent them from experiencing the “proper” death of returning to the Erdtree: 

“A proper death means returning to the Erdtree. Have patience. Until the time comes...and the roots call to you.” (Spirit NPC)

So I guess the goal of the eclipse ritual is to retrieve these demigods’ lost souls, including Godwyn’s. 

As for the soulless demigods’ identities, a spirit NPC does explicitly state that a demigod within a mausoleum is Marika’s child. There is indeed plenty of room within the Golden Lineage family tree for there to be a bunch of currently unknown family members, because Godrick is said to be the last of the Golden Lineage and a distant relation of Queen Marika… so that’s potentially a ton of previous generations of demigods that are just not named! These demigods could easily have been killed in order to hurt Marika and the Golden Order in Ranni’s dire plot, with Godwyn being the most devastating loss and the target of her specific ritual. 

I should also mention that there are two unique wandering mausoleums in Liurnia, around the Uhl Palace Ruins, that do not have a bell, are not protected by mausoleum knights, and can only duplicate remembrances of NON-shardbearing bosses. @katyahina pointed this out in this fantastic post, and I wouldn’t have even thought about these mausoleums if I hadn’t read it!! I’m currently unsure if these two soulless demigods had unique identities; however, really interestingly, unlike every other demigod corpse, the corpses in these two bell-less mausoleums are charred black:

(Normal mausoleum)

(Bell-less mausoleum)

So I’m inclined to think that something weird happened TO these two demigods that didn’t happen to anyone else that caused them to behave as less powerful versions, rather than them having unique identities from the other demigods to begin with… but that's just my take. What could have happened to them??? And why are they confined to this one “Mausoleum Compound” area, that’s among the Uhl Palace Ruins, where there are also Ancestor followers??? Literally I thought about this so hard I gave myself a headache. Anyway give katyahina's post a read for some fun ideas about their identities. Whoever they are, I think whatever happened to them means that they’re beyond saving; even the eclipse ritual can’t help them.

Also I could not ever begin to guess what’s going on with the demigods supposedly killed by Vyke in order for him to have gotten great runes and it honestly makes absolutely no sense to me. sorry but if I try to think about this anymore I fear my head will explode

[wraith-caller]

Part of Miquella's intentions with the Haligtree was to provide an accepting place for the pariahs of the Golden Order. Misbegotten and Albinaurics both flock there, and we find a variety of other creatures living there in combinations we don't really see outside the Haligtree.

So it's interesting that Miquella, who is so accepting of all of these forms of life, and who would see everything flourish for better or worse, may draw a line with Those Who Live in Death. There are some putrid corpses shambling around the Haligtree, so there is room to argue they are seeking shelter there. However...

The Golden Epitaph is imbued with Miquella's prayer for Godwyn to die a true death, and the unique skill on the sword is particularly effective against Those Who Live in Death. Similarly, the Miquellan Knight's Sword comes with the Ash of War "Sacred Blade", another skill especially useful for laying the undead to a final rest. There's one other sword that shares that ash: the Inseparable Sword used by the D twins. Did Miquella develop this skill for the Hunters, or did he adopt it from them?

The ghost in Castle Sol mourns being unable to restore the soul of an unnamed "comrade" of Miquella. I'm guessing that "comrade" is Godwyn, because Miquella has clearly been at work trying to fix what's wrong with him, given the Golden Epitaph. So he may be seeking all avenues to resolve his brother's suffering and eliciting help from the people of Castle Sol. But something about that is, the description of the Eclipse Crest Greatshield specifies that the eclipse is believed to stave off Destined Death, which could be the only way Godwyn can die his true death. So why ask the people who worship the symbol of the soulless dead demigods, and who want to ward off Destined Death, to help resurrect your undead brother? The Eclipse Shotel inflicts deathblight. The Mausoleum Knights, who wear the Eclipse symbol, also wield lances robed in deathblight. Those associated with the Eclipse may revere the undead, so why turn to them for help in saving Godwyn?

[leafkingofbirds]

Next chapter Preview: Eclipse Edition!

In honor of the total solar eclipse today, have this snippet I just finished writing! 😄

**this is still a first draft and you may find typos. But I am open to feedback & suggestions! 🥰

***

Somehow, Kieran winds up at the base of Sir Monty’s favorite tree. On his knees, his heart pounding, staring blankly at the dirt but seeing nothing. Too lost in his own mind and the troubles of his soul.

Give me peace, he begs whatever unseen force rules over life and death. Give me clarity. I must be everything Ella needs me to be.

But there is no divine intervention. Only himself, alone. As it has always been, since the death of his mother.

He would have sought his mother's grave, but the royal mausoleum is buried beneath the rubble of the destroyed Full Moon Chamber. 

Instead he has come to Sir Monty’s. The last parental figure he would ever have.

His oldest friend is gone to the tyrant’s side. Whether Oleander has betrayed Kieran or has some plan up their sleeve doesn’t matter. Oleander isn’t here to give any of their sage advice.

Dear Longclaw has her own heavy grief. Even her big heart is weighed down with the loss of not only the last of her beloved family – as abhorrent as Radiance was – but the loss of her own sense of self. It wouldn’t be fair to ask for her help, even if she was currently capable of giving it.

Ella would try to be there for him. But to go to her would be worse than dealing with it alone. Her heartless state is but more evidence of his failure and his guilt. 

“Mother,” Kieran gasps aloud without meaning to. A deep-set plea to a woman he had not set eyes upon since he was almost too young to remember and who will never answer his cries again. 

The word only opens the wound inside him, digging deeper, ripping open old wounds until they bled anew. His mother is the reason for all of this. Jack is the reason.

As if called by Kieran's very thoughts, he hears soft footsteps in the grass cautiously approach behind him. 

“So this is where you ran off to,” Jack muses. His voice is subdued. A hush has fallen over the entire place in the wake of the battle, an aura of death and defeat.

“Leave me,” Kieran growls without turning around.

Instead, the footsteps only come closer. To Kieran's shock and irritation, Jack kneels before the small square of stone at the base of the old, broken oak.

A stone marker had been installed at the base of the tree. Oleander had quietly decided upon the wordering and installed it themselves, after Kieran had irritably snapped at them “I don’t give a damn; do it yourself!” 

It was not enough to describe all that Sir Montgomery was in life, but then, no headstone would ever be able to capture the entirety of a man’s soul.

Here Rests the Most Honorable

Sir Montgomery Snow

Who Gave His Mortal Life

In Service to the Moon Court

For a long moment, Jack gazes at the headstone in silence, his expression intense and unreadable. He looks almost angry. 

Kieran braces himself to hear Jack say something vicious, and knows he won't be able to hold himself back this time if Jack speaks disrespectfully about Sir Monty before his very grave.

Then, Jack sighs deeply, hands on his thighs, and hangs his head. Kieran peers at him curiously.

“We have both suffered the loss of the most important people in our lives,” Jack says finally. He glances up at Kieran ruefully, his expression for once vulnerable and sincere. “Haven't we?”

Kieran can only glare at him. 

Jack looks back toward Monty’s headstone. “I want to say I regret what I've taken from you. But the truth is, if I had not killed Monty, he would have killed me. And I can't apologize for not allowing that to happen. Not honestly. Because I was not just fighting this battle for myself, and I owed it to those people in there that I would let nothing and no one stand in my way. No matter how noble.” 

There's a silence where Kieran considers leaping at him at closing his hands over Jack’s throat. But there isn't enough energy in him now. What would be the point? 

“But I regret the pain I have caused,” Jack says, in a way that makes Kieran think he's never apologized before in his life and it's physically painful for him. “I know that's foolish. I can't wish the past undone and know I would have changed nothing, all at the same time.”

“You wish it hadn't come to this,” Kieran manages to say, surprised at how rough his voice sounds, how close to tears. He can't even look at Jack.

“Yes.”

Kieran scoffs. “So do I.”

Not that it mattered what any of them wished. Wishes are futile things, even for Fae.

“Nothing I can say will undo the damage I've done. Believe me, I'm well aware,” Jack says bitterly. “But I want to say this anyway: I was wrong about you. I was wrong about so many things that it makes my blood boil to look back on it. About Sir Montgomery and Eisa. About the right way to fight for equality in this realm.”

“You were wrong about Ella,” Kieran reminds him snappishly.

Jack has the gall to look surprised. Then embarrassed.  “I…yes.” 

Kieran raises his brow expectantly, demanding a better answer than that. 

Jack sighs explosively and runs a hand through his hair. “I thought her addled at best, foolishly naive at worst. I thought you were like every other Fae I had ever had the misfortune of meeting, who had dazzled and enthralled an unwitting human into doing your bidding. But…you truly love her, don’t you?”

“With all that I am.” Kieran feels his hands clench into fists. “Ella has the most pure and genuine heart for others I’ve ever known a mortal to have. And a stubborn, inner strength that has never ceased to impress me. She is braver than any Fae I have ever met. That you misjudged her angers me even more than being misjudged. And that she is in my palace right now, heartless, where she should have been safe, angers me more than anything else.”

“You feel like you failed her.” It’s a statement, not a question. Jack gazes at him evenly.

“I did fail her,” Kieran snaps. “She felt she had no choice but to use the Immortality Curse, because this realm is so dangerous for mortals. I didn’t do enough to ensure she felt safe among Fae. I wasn’t able to break her curse, despite my promise that my love would be strong enough to save her. And yes, I ignored the threat of your Eclipse and the suffering you endured, as generations of Moon Court heirs have done before me. I own that mistake as wholly mine. But, Jack - it was your arrogance and prejudice didn’t want to believe Fae lives were in any way worth sparing. You came to kill us without knowing us. Without giving us even a chance.”

Jack’s brow wrinkles. “To be fair, that is exactly how mortals have been treated by Fae for the entirety of history.”

“Doesn’t make it right.”

Jack looks contrite. “No. It doesn’t.”

“I'm glad we can agree on something,” Kieran mutters. 

“Perhaps that's why I was too late to save my father,” Jack muses quietly, as if to himself. “His innocent life, spent in payment for my sins. I live now only because you demand it, Kieran - else I would fall on that damned sword as penance. And I will do what I can to help fix this. But some things I can't fix. And for that…I truly am sorry.”

Kieran's eyes fill with tears, hot and angry. He can feel Jack’s gaze on him, and doesn't meet it.  His emotions war in such a furious swirling tempest he can't keep track of any of them - he doesn't even try to name them.

What strikes him, though, is how much of Jack's words mirror Kieran's own internal guilt. 

An innocent life paid the price of my arrogance.

I would fall on my sword for my failure.

Some things I can't fix.

Kieran senses himself at a fork in the road. He can do what his old self would have done - the bitter, broken, cold version that used viciousness to isolate himself and wallowed in his own misery - and rebuff Jack’s attempt to repent. Jack would live, but they would be forever strangers. Forever estranged.

Or he can be the man Ella always believed him to be. The man Kieran strives to live up to.

Kieran lets out a long sigh. “I can’t forgive you, Jack. Not yet. But I accept your apology. I believe it’s sincerely offered.”

“If nothing else, know that I am a man who means what he says.” Jack’s level gaze doesn’t waver. He shows no sign of discomfort from kneeling so long in the dirt, even though the gashes Kieran had delt to his flank are barely scabbed over. Up close, Kieran can see the disciplined way Jack holds himself. The quiet confidence of a true warrior. This has been his life's sole purpose, and Kieran realizes, just now, how broken Jack must also feel.

“We are two of a kind that way,” Kieran answers quietly.

Jack huffs a short laugh, then grows serious again. “Kieran…for what it’s worth? I’m sorry for what happened to Ella. I hope, one day, she will be restored. And on that day, I will ask her forgiveness as well.” Jack climbs to his feet and idly brushes off his knees. “I think my chances will be better if I wait until then.”

The harsh bark of a laugh that escapes Kieran's throat just then doesn't slow Jack's steps, and soon Kieran is alone again beneath this silent, doomed tree.

His laugh turns into a sob.

His hands claw the grass and hard-packed earth as if he could tear it away. Rip open the grave beneath his feet and demand it all to be different, for fate to change according to his will, for the chance to go back in time and undo his mistakes, to unravel all the terrible things that have happened.

But he’s powerless now, and his hands can no more open a hole to bury himself than they could bring back the dead. 

Kieran puts his forehead to the earth in defeat, and lets himself weep like he has not done in a hundred years.

[kaiismydivineruler]

Eclipsed Desolation - Tate Langdon x reader. Slightly angst I guess.

Song: Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

In the dimly lit room of Tate's apartment, the oppressive weight of '90s melancholy hung like a heavy fog. The grunge undertones and echoing strains of Nirvana's sorrowful melodies served as the soundtrack to a shared struggle that felt insurmountable. Depression, a silent and sinister companion, gripped both your hearts, intertwining your souls in a dance of despair.

Tate, with his disheveled hair and haunted gaze, mirrored the shadows that lurked within your own being. The two of you tiptoed around the abyss of your inner demons, afraid that acknowledging the darkness might unravel the fragile threads holding your fractured selves together. The record player's mournful tunes served as a constant reminder of the pain etched into the very fabric of your existence.

Nights were spent entangled in each other's arms, seeking refuge in the fleeting warmth that only momentary escape could offer. Yet, with the dawn came the brutal reality of your internal wars, the weight of the world pressing down on your chests like an unrelenting force.

Unspoken words hung heavy in the air, stifling the once vibrant connection you had forged. Fears of shattering the fragile sanctuary you clung to kept you both silent. Tate, the boy with a turbulent past, sought solace in the fractured pieces of your smiles, a desperate attempt to stave off the encroaching darkness.

As the weeks dragged on, the struggle became more palpable. Laughter, once a melody that echoed through the apartment, now faded into strained silences. Tate's eyes, once alight with a rebellious spark, dulled under the weight of his own internal tempest.

One evening, beneath the flickering light of a solitary candle, the silence between you became suffocating. Tate's gaze, a mirror reflecting the storms within, pleaded for understanding in a language only the broken could comprehend. The air crackled with the unspoken words that had festered for too long, a painful symphony of shared agony.

In that moment, tears mingled with whispers of shared pain as you both realized the true depth of your connection. The '90s grunge anthem playing in the background became a haunting symphony, underscoring the tragedy of your intertwined fates.

Through the haze of tears and shattered illusions, you clung to each other as sinking ships desperately grasp at flotsam. Tate's trembling hand reached for yours, fingers entwining in a desperate grasp for salvation.

The journey ahead seemed darker and more uncertain than ever, the path through the abyss fraught with unseen perils. Yet, together, in the desolation of the '90s, you found a fragile thread of hope—a feeble flame that flickered in the face of the encroaching shadows threatening to engulf you both.

As the months dragged on, your bond deepened, but so did the weight of your shared sorrow. Together, you faced the demons that haunted your nights, but the victories were fleeting, and the scars ran deeper. Tate's vulnerability, once a source of strength, became a reflection of the fragility of your shared existence.

In the quiet corners of your apartment, you crafted not a haven but a mausoleum—a tombstone marking the burial ground of dreams and the remnants of fleeting joy. The '90s grunge tunes, once mournful anthems, now echoed the lamentations of souls tethered to the inexorable pull of despair.

Each day became a relentless battle against the encroaching shadows, and together, you forged a path not toward light but through the darkness. Tate, once a lost soul, found no solace in being your anchor, and you, in turn, became a drowning victim clinging to a sinking companion.

In the embrace of your shared vulnerability, the '90s became not a backdrop for healing but a canvas stained with the tears of a tragic love story. The journey was not just difficult; it was a descent into a bottomless pit, where hope was a distant memory, and the only constant was the overwhelming sorrow that enveloped you both.

[miquella-everywhere]

genuine question:

why are you so into the idea that Godwyn was supposed to be the final boss?

diegetically speaking, that was Miq's first choice too, but upon realizing he couldn't be brought back (or properly killed) he settled for Radahn

A better question would be did anyone truly believe that Radahn of all people was going to be the final boss?

Evidently not if you consider that there were net zero MiqRad fanfics on Ao3 before the DLC came out.

You had everything in the base game regarding Miquella's intentions with reviving Godwyn set up perfectly. Golden Epitaph, the Eclipse, everything regarding the Wandering Mausoleums, the statue of them embracing in the Haligtree. The love and immense effort Miquella put into trying to grant Godwyn a true death was there. But then for the DLC to turn around and have Miquella be like "Nope! Radahn!" and reduce Godwyn to a dungeon decoration and have his lore be, "His Knights are waiting for his corpse to knock someone up," is genuinely braindead writing.

And worst of all we don't even get any crumbs regarding Miquella and Godwyns relationship. It doesn't say anywhere in the DLC that Godwyn was Miquella's first choice, and the fact that the DLC frames Miquella's "crush" as something that he felt since his younger years is fucking stupid because it cannot be proven with any base game lore.

THERE IS LITERALLY MORE PROOF TOWARDS MIQUELLA LOVING GODWYN IN THE BASE GAME THAN ANY FORM OF BASE EMOTION TOWARDS THE PROMISED RETCON.

....and yet the DLC gives us absolutely no, zero, zip, nada, negative, absolutely nothing regarding Miquella and Godwyns relationship. FUCK. THE DLC DOESNT EVEN GIVE US ANYTHING ABOUT GODWYN HIMSELF.

Radahns inclusion is a shameless disgraceful rewrite that ruins Miquella's character.

The Eclipse is forgotten, Miquella's love for Godwyn is forgotten, the entire base game plot revolving around the core of Miquella's character is forgotten, and it is infuriating.

From a storytelling perspective it is just absurd that all this build up was abandoned for something that cannot even be supported with any base game evidence. And since this is coming from Fromsoft, the people who had an incredible track record of making such satisfying and stellar DLCs and put the most effort in their larger than life stories, makes it hurt even more.

It just hurts man :(

[nuadha-airgeadlamh]

okay before the dlc comes out i need to get my thoughts about this item description off my chest. this is the Sun Realm shield:

so much of this is crazy to me. first of all, it introduces a location called the “Seat of the Sun”, and the only information given about this place is that it is “long faded away”. this very well could be another location outside of the Lands Between like the Land of Reeds, but there’s no other items mentioning this location and no NPCS we encounter from there. even Eochaid, a “long-vanished domain” according to the Regalia’s item description, has representation in the game through Elemer.

secondly, I find the depiction of the sun extremely similar to the eclipse symbol on the eclipse shields:

this becomes even more interesting when combined with the fact that the Sun Realm shield is only dropped by Those Who Live In Death. information about the eclipse are fairly obscure at this point, but we do know for certain that the eclipse is associated with death.

The eclipse crest heater shield and great shield tell us that the sun in eclipse is a symbol of the Wandering Mausoleums, which contain the soulless demigods, and that it helps the mausoleum knights “keep Destined Death at bay.” It is even called the soulless demigods’ “protective star”. On the other hand, in Castle Sol, the inhabitants seem to be attempting to summon the eclipse in order to restore life to the soulless demigods at the behest of Miquella. So clearly the eclipse has ties with death, specifically as a means of protection against death.

this matches with the Sun Realm shield’s connections to death; but instead of depicting an eclipse, it depicts the sun in its full glory. what does this mean? where is this “Seat of the Sun”? why is it faded away? what are its connections to death? am i making a big deal out of nothing? possibly!

[weirdsatellites]

Dispatch #650 from Zuma (TS/SCI) 1. Strange Tower of Solar Eclipses 2. Mausoleum of Myth

[ghostofashina]

Once again thinking about the Prince of Death's flames and why I don't think those attacks after becoming hostile to Fia aren't from Godwyn exactly.

Those skulls casted above Fia are very similar rancorcall, a spell recovered by Garris necromancy (which tells this magic can be older than the Prince of Death). And yes, even though it has obvious connections to death, it's diferent from the power inherited by the Prince of Death, which is Deatblight (usually followed by his flames, but necessarily, as we see in the Eclipse Shotel or Mausoleum Knights and Basilisks).

If we recall Rogier's sidequest, he tells the player "not to disturb the corpse", once we find Godwyn's divided body and the bloodstain, we see Rogier getting impaled by the Deathblight's thorns. Not rancorcall. Also, the corpse under Stormveil Castle isn't even Godwyn's original corpse.

Fortissax, fighting death inside Godwyn, was suffering from Deathblight to the point he himself casts Deathblight. Not once he casts anything related to rancorcall.

So, it really feels weird to me that the original corpse of Godwyn would use a simple necromancy spell when it could have protected Fia with Deathblight itself.

[cinderflower]

👀🤲.

Ooh two WIP questions? I'll try to answer with two different ones.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I have a drafted doc with no actual words written just yet but there's a few bullets outlined for a princes fic of a vow being made (is it a spite fic? yes absolutely bc I'm not above being petty apparently but shh)

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

Here's a little 🩸 ficlet snippet I've been working on (subject to change since I'm early on in the writing process):

Death was commonplace in the subterranean since Omen were not granted the grace of rebirth. It meant the final exhale an Omen breathed would forever be their last. From the ragged death rattles of those put to rest by the Perfumers to the hoarse wails of newborns with freshly excised horns, Mohg had heard them all. But the world had not known the cry of a Demigod meeting their end - not until the sound rang out across the Lands Between on that infamous night. Most had been laid to rest on the surface, their soulless corpses confined to great mausoleums instead of being returned to the Erdtree's roots. Mohg had seen the irony in how Marika had chosen to exile those living who she deemed undesirable underground, yet in death she abandoned them on the surface and entombed them in stone. However, in the end she had made one singular, terrible exception - another decision of the many that had led to the chaos that had eclipsed the surface as the Golden Order fell into disorder.