#spectral steed torrent

[lokirulzart]

I couldn’t find any pictures of the best boy Torrent as a baby, so I fixed it. Anyway, enjoy silly foal Torrent and his cute baby butt for your spiritual health.

I debated for a while making him darker colored, cuz I think grey horses and dappled horses are born a different color… but I settled for immediate recognizability in hopes that it would inspire more drawings of baby Torrent.

[eldintower]

when you walk you make an echo where they used to be

.

torrent is the last in the same manner that every dragon in dark souls is the last. there may be hundreds but there were thousands once and more. And the silence shall lost long & long

[cute-sweet-corgo]

Wha da dawg doin

[kirango-rouge]

I can't express enough how happy i am that i get now to ride my best friend in the elden beast fight!

he was with me from the very beggining in my worst and best moments and beating the final boss with him made me feel very emotional.

just for this moment becoming elden lord was worth it!

i love you Torrent, my best boy who deserves the world!

[ancient-names-pt-i]

[old-hunter-henryk]

pony,,,

look vvv

[lttleghost]

FUCKING WINTER LANTERNS AGAIN?

okay I can't be mad at this concept being re-used the lead-up to them was neat and eerie and they work a lil different but like oooh my god

[oathswornmaliketh]

[Image description: A gold ring lays on its side on a black background. The ring is decorated with six ridges, each on either side of a narrower part. Outside of the last ridges there are a few decorative holes. Away from the ridges the ring narrows gradually. On the narrow end opposite the ridges is a gap where the ring does not form a full circle.]

Spectral Steed Whistle

A delicate goldwork ring. Can be used as a finger whistle.

Sound the whistle to summon and ride Torrent, the spectral steed. (Dismounts steed when used while on horseback.)

Upon his death, the spectral steed can be summoned again, but doing so drains the Flask of Crimson Tears.

[ligawolfcosplayandarts]

New drawing.

Something new. Torrent The Spectral Steed from Elden Ring to celebrate DLC announcment as well as late Elden Ring anniversary art.

[rubyhellneon]

⋆⁺‧₊☽ Ranni the Witch ☾₊‧⁺⋆

„ A pleausre to meet thee, Tarnished. I am witch Renna. I'd heard tell of a Tarnished hurtling about atop a spectral steed. And upon looking into the matter, the talk, I surmise, is of thee. Thou'rt possessed of the power, no? To call forth the spectral steed named Torrent…“

[kirango-rouge]

entering abyssal woods after deafeating jory and his horde of simps was definitely one of the aspects of the dlc i enjoyed the most!

i unfortunately didn't experience torrent's throwing me off because the area was after a long catacombs and i thought i was still in a no riding zone (i also went too far and saw that i couldn't use the whistle too late and just assumed it was a post catacombs area).

indeed this place goes against all of your instincts of running and fighting you learned so far and i instantly tried to fight back that winter lantern the moment it saw me even though i had read one minut prior that combat was not an option xD (and yet you may learn in a quite unintuitive way afterwards that you're supposed to parry these guys to touch them argh).

the atmosphere was so cool i was expecting threats everywhere and at any moment, to the point that once i reached midra's mense i felt like an idiot who let fear overwhelm them because in retrospect, Abyssal Woods is a pretty empty area, save for four winter lanterns, a few sheep and rats, a bunch of inquisitors and a homeless man.

i kinda wish we could have summoned torrent back once we clapped midra's cheeks and run arround abyssal woods at full speed just for the joy of it and show him the danger is gone now and that he's safe, while in insight we're still the bigger frenzied threat still brewing in this world here.

Turn back. While you are yet able.

I think whether Elden Ring's Abyssal Woods scared you probably says something about your relationship to the fear of the unknown. They certainly scared me.

At least for me, a lot of the fear came from reading the mischievously placed devnotes and seeing that Torrent was too scared to come out, and wondering what the correct interpretation was before I had even really entered the level. After all, with all the horrific ways we've died in this game, what could they possibly be signaling was scarier?

Don't let it see you.

Shockingly, there's nothing actually that scary awaiting you in any objective sense. The worst thing that happens is a loud noise followed by immediate death. But we die about 5000 times in the game before we get there; death isn't really that scary.

Once you are seen, there is no escape.

Maybe the 1HKO guaranteed death evokes a sense of helplessness that other deaths might not. But the first thing the game meets you with is an enemy you're *not* supposed to beat (the Grafted Scion) in order to learn that feelings of helplessness will be a normal part of the gameplay. This isn't really that scary, either.

It cannot even be touched.

So what so scary about it?

Hide yourself. Make not a sound.

The answer for me was, simply, nothing. The fear was entirely made up in my head in imagining all of the horrific ways to interpret those devnotes.

Crouch in the undergrowth.

In a way, the Abyssal Woods drove me mad with my own imaginings, similar to how I speculate being possessed by the Frenzied Flame feels.

Quietly await your chance.

I enjoy that the game gave me a taste of what it might be like to truly *feel* what the Frenzy-afflicted might feel. The Frenzied Flame god wants nothing more than to wipe away all souls from existence. To do that, it simply relies on you ruminating on the horrors you've already experienced in the game. Doing so might make you become profoundly afraid of what life in the Lands Between can offer, to the point where you come to agree that wiping it all away would be preferable. I think the experience may also give you a taste of why the Hornsent were so deeply afraid of the Frenzied Flame.

Combat is not an option.

I do also enjoy the tiny lore nugget that Torrent is probably scared because the Frenzied Flame melts away all spirits, including spirits like him. The Surging Frenzied Flame reads:

Spiritgrave stone burned by frenzied flame. Craftable item. Uses FP to place a stone on the ground, where it spews frenzied flames. Spirits are eternal, and yet frenzied flame melts them away regardless. No wonder the hornsent forbid the flame's use.

But we can only learn this *after* we get to the Manse from an item we can pick up there. So your entire trek through the woods, you're left wondering what scares him so much until you're long past the danger.

[catcas22]

The Truth about Saint Trina

I can’t take credit for much more than stringing all this together. I���ve heard bits and pieces of this theory suggested by others but this is my attempt to create a coherent narrative.

So we can establish that Miquella never grew to adulthood, having his development stunted by some kind of curse. This hardly even needs to be said, but I’ll cite my sources just because.

Remembrance of the Rot Goddess

Miquella and Malenia are both the children of a single god. As such they are both Empyreans, but suffered afflictions from birth. One was cursed with eternal childhood, and the other harbored rot within.

We can also establish with reasonable certainty that it is common for Misbegotten to seek treatment for their condition from Perfumers. We find a bunch of Misbegotten and Perfumers hanging out together along the main road in the ash-covered section of Leyndell. We also have the description of Perfumer Tricia.

Perfumer Tricia Ashes Description

Tricia was once known as a healer who dedicated her efforts to treating Misbegotten, Omen, and all those seen as impure.

When her efforts failed, she was their companion as they died, watching over them to ensure that they could pass peacefully, free of pain.

Trina’s Lily Description

A symbol of faith in St. Trina. Dulls the senses, preventing agitation.

Seems like an herb that calms the senses and eases pain would be helpful for a Perfumer attempting to ease the suffering of the Misbegotten, yes?

Hewg is a Misbegotten. Based off of the location of his hammer in the overworld, we can establish that Hewg lived in Leyndell at some point. Given the way the Golden Order is, he probably wasn’t there of his own free will.

We also know that Hewg once knew a spirit tuner who he feels deeply indebted to.

Hewg Dialogue

When asked about Roderika

                "The girl you brought here... She's crestfallen, and can scarcely swing a blade, but she has a gift for spirit tuning. I saw another one like her, long ago. Their eyes share the same hue.”

After speaking to Roderika again

                “I spoke with the girl. She has a gift for spirit tuning. So I told her everything I know. I'm indebted to a spirit tuner I met long ago. It was all I could do to honor her.”

I’ve heard some people suggest that Marika is the aforementioned spirit tuner. But... Come on. Hewg says that Roderika reminds him of the spirit tuner. Love her or hate her, the only thing Marika has in common with Roderika is her hair color.

Looking at it from Hewg’s perspective, he is clearly terrified of Marika, while his feelings toward Roderika (and possibly the other spirit tuner?) are more protective in nature.

Now, basically everything we know about Saint Trina comes from two item descriptions.

Sword of Saint Trina Description

St. Trina is an enigmatic figure. Some say she is a comely young girl, others are sure he is a boy. The only certainty is that their appearance was as sudden as their disappearance.

St. Trina’s Torch Description

Candle-stand torch that burns with a light-purple flame. The carvings depict St. Trina, but in adult form, somewhat unnervingly.

So we can establish that Trina is a person of ambiguous gender, feminine-looking but could also be a young boy. They weren’t around for very long. And the image of them depicted as an adult seems unnatural and unnerving.

One more thing -- Ranni comes to check out the Player character in Limgrave because she heard that Torrent was in the area.

Ranni Dialogue

                “I'd heard tell of a Tarnished hurtling about atop a spectral steed. And upon looking into the matter, the talk, I surmise, is of thee.”

                “I was entrusted this, for thee. By Torrent's former master. 'Tis a bell for calling forth spirits.”

Torrent’s former master was a spirit tuner.

Putting it all together:

                As a young prince in Leyndell, Miquella sees the suffering of the Misbegotten and wishes to use his skills as a healer to help them. Marika, Radagon, or both tell him that treating Misbegotten is beneath his station and would be an embarrassment to the royal family. He either talks them into letting him go out incognito, or just straight-up sneaks out in disguise.

                Under the guise of St. Trina, a humble Perfumer, Miquella does his best to ease the suffering of the Misbegotten. Specifically, he uses the soporific lilies that he originally developed to help soothe Malenia’s Rot-induced nightmares. During this period, Miquella/Trina treats Hewg, a smith “employed” by the Roundtable Hold. Hewg never learns “Trina’s” true identity, but remembers “her” kindness all the same.

                Miquella eventually makes a clean break with the Golden Order and leaves to establish the Haligtree. He now no longer needs to hide his humanitarian work, so the St. Trina disguise becomes redundant, accounting for St. Trina’s sudden disappearance.

                Some time later, Miquella is kidnapped by Mohg and disappears from the Lands Between. No one seems to have any idea what happened to him. When his half-sister Ranni hears that his spectral steed has been spotted in Limgrave, of course she zooms over to check out the rumor -- for a moment, she likely believed that her long-lost little brother, one of the few remaining members of her family that isn’t either dead, insane, or trying to kill her, had finally resurfaced.

Enter Shadow of the Erdtree, where someone who looks an awful lot like Miquella seems to be riding Torrent through the dream/spirit realm.

[blackblooms]

Just reached a peculiar region in the DLC that prevents the usage of torrent. Nothing unusual for Elden ring, but... "the spectral steed is too scared to come out"

...what do you know about this place that i dont torrent?

[simbic]

Me: I should finish Elden Ring before school starts.

I took a two month break, it's rough out here. Anyway, here's what I did during my winter break lol

Abyssal Woods. I couldn't summon Torrent (Spectral steed is frightened and cannot be summoned.). I stood in this spot for a long time debating if it's worth it. Then I remembered this is likely Midra's domain, and Midra's one of the bosses I was excited about.

Me: Why must I suffer?

This place had what are called Aging Untouchables roaming around, and there were messages telling me "Don't let it see you," etc, which was really great for ramping up the terror. It's one of the few times I was actually scared to go forward.

The need to scour the location top to bottom and see EVERYTHING won out though

The Aging Untouchables, I discovered, are impervious to all damage until you successfully parry them. There are six of them, I think. I learned to parry because I ain't no bitch.

No exaggeration, this was incredible.

Anyway, spam to follow.

[kirango-rouge]

Guys!!! this is a victory day! Our boy Torrent is no longer shadowbanned by tumblr!

I filed a complaint with the staff and they actually answered and listened!

now we can post about our boy to our heart's content and people searching about him will actually find us!

AND NOW I CAN FIND YOU ALL!!!! >:)

[the-odd-laundromat]

On Miquella, St. Trina, and Spirits

Warning, this is a fairly long post. Best buckle up.

I've started to let my imagination wander of late about Miquella, St. Trina, and spirit ashes within the lore of Elden Ring and its DLC. I made this for fun and I don't intend it in serious spirit. If this doesn't line up with your own theories or headcanons, that's cool. There are billions of people on the planet, and some of us are bound to disagree. Let's all be civil about it, please. (Do note this is just my personal blog, not dedicated exclusively to ER).

My theory is this: Apart from sleep (through St. Trina), Unalloyed Gold and the Haligtree, Miquella holds dominion over spirits; specifically Torrent, Spirit Ashes and spirit bosses you fight.

Miquella fits, if abstractly, into Elden Ring's mythological basis. He parallels the god Baldr from Norse myth, already an influence on Elden Ring (e.g., The Erdtree = Yggdrasil) in some ways: Baldr was associated with light and all good things, and was specifically noted to be beloved by all. Baldr's death (though that's Godwyn in ER) triggers Ragnarok. Baldr is among the gods who survive and return to a renewed, clean-slate world (Miquella wants to create a new world order with the Haligtree).

Now, I'll go out on a limb and propose that he also parallels Apollo of Greek myth. Apollo wasn't specifically beloved by all (I don't think), but he was significantly venerated, comparably to big-shots like Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hermes. He's also associated with light (one of his most common epithets is Phoebus Apollo, meaning Shining or Radiant Apollo), and is a twin (granted, Apollo and Artemis are rather different to Miq and Malenia). In the DLC trailer, Miquella glows, and the camera cuts immediately to a bright light bathing the strangler-fig tree (nature unknown) from behind.

Now comes the fun part: The connection between music, death, and sleep. Apollo is also famously a god of music, and in Elden Ring, spirits are also associated with it. You summon spirits in combat with the Spirit-Calling Bell, and Melina gives you the Spectral Steed Whistle to summon Torrent (who some speculate Miquella is the "original master" of, as supported by promotional art for the DLC). Curiously, Miquella's alter ego St. Trina is also associated with music: One of their titles is Saint Trina of the Cradlesong, and as mentioned in a cut quest, Miquella, as St. Trina, supposedly sang a lullaby to the Frenzied Flame Merchants to ease their suffering. To my knowledge, no other figure has such an association to music.

Fittingly for a game constantly trying to kill you, Elden Ring is in no shortage of death gods and suchlike figures. Maliketh and Godwyn may be considered death gods through their relation to Deathroot/the Rune of Death, you have the Deathbirds/Twinbird and the Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Ancestor Spirit, Ghostflame and Blackflame and the Frenzied Flame - heck, Malenia/the Scarlet Rot God could even qualify, as a harbinger of decay and apocalypse. My proposition is that Miquella is or will become another death god, but of merciful death, of deathlike sleep and the peaceful dream of oblivion - hence his connection to the Shadow Realm. And potentially the first spirit tuner - Hewg tutors Roderika because he's "indebted to a spirit tuner [he] met long ago". After all, in Greek mythology, Sleep (Hypnos) is brother to Death (Thanatos).

Are there holes in this? Yeah, probably. Will the DLC canon crush this theory under Messmer's open-toed cowboy boots? Most definitely. That's okay. Part of the fun of speculation is seeing just how crazy you can get with it. Sorry this is so long-winded. I hope you enjoyed this deranged romp through the mythology of this super cool video game.