“
|
The ancestral followers believe that the horns of a long-lived beast continue to bud like antlers, over and over again, until the beast one day becomes an ancestral spirit. — Mottled Necklace
|
”
|
The ancestral followers, also known as the horned folk,[2] are a faction in Elden Ring. They reject the advancements of society and worship the ancestral spirits.[1]
Background[]
New life sprouted from death
The ancestral followers were a pagan tribe deeply rooted in the Lands Between.[2] They rejected writing and metalworking in favor of an ascetic form of spirit and animal worship. Their faith existed beyond the influence of Marika’s Golden Order,[3] and they distanced themselves from her Erdtree, patiently awaiting the sprouting of new buds.[4]
To the horned folk, death represented an opportunity to gain power.[5] They revered the radiant antlers of long-lived beasts,[6] which budded endlessly until the horned remains became ancestral spirits.[7] They believed new life could spring from both birth and death,[3] and that it could bud from their very souls.[4]
The rituals of the followers tapped into the spiritual energy within the bones of beasts.[8] In these ceremonies, they stamped their feet in syncopation with a beautiful lullaby sung by exalted shamans. The head of an ancestral infant was swung like a censer to produce a mist of blue spirit vapor that sapped souls and siphoned vitality.[9][10][Note 1] Any life that showed no signs of budding was culled in the miasma by warriors wielding greathorns that resembled the wings of an envoy.[1]
The ancestral followers were master hunters who shared a bond with beasts.[11] Normally timid creatures, such as deer and sheep, remained unafraid in their presence. Many animals accompanied them as they foraged through the wooded areas. Living in idyllic harmony with herbivorous creatures, they made their home among the underground ruins of the ancient dynasty along the banks of the Siofra River.
Characteristics[]
The bull-horned folk used nature as provided
The blue-eyed ancestral followers were robust, brawny humanoids with blue skin and silvery gray hair.[2] Their muscular bodies outsized their heads and their faces were brightly painted white with red designs. While they did not exhibit the natural horn growth they venerated, they emulated its presence.
The horned folk relied on organic materials like bone and animal pelts for their attire.[12] Their great horned headbands were spoils harvested from dead beasts.[13] They wore protective necklaces and horn charms to boost their focus and ward off disease and other maladies.[14] Mottled accrouments with vivid and varied coloration were most precious to the followers.
The followers did little to modify what nature had given them.[5][15] They did not sharpen their crushing jawbone axes and their arrows utilized the puncturing ability of animal fangs.[8] Their warriors carried hefty weapons imbued with ancient spiritual power,[16] taken from the remains of herbivorious beasts.
List of ancestral followers[]
Locations[]
The ancestral followers are typically found underground along the bank of the Siofra River. They primarily appear amongst the locations built by the ancient dynasty.
- Ainsel River
- Lake of Rot (x1)
- Consecrated Snowfield
- Southeast of Yelough Anix Tunnel (x2)
- Liurnia of the Lakes
- Siofra River
- Ancestral Woods
- Hallowhorn Grounds (North)
- Hallowhorn Grounds (South)
- Worshippers' Woods
Notes[]
- The ancestral followers near the Hallowhorn Grounds (South) are spectral and glow with blue light. They are invisible to those far away.
- The song of the shamans draws blue spirit energy into the bodies of nearby followers. The horns of those who hear it are illuminated with blue light whenever they siphon spirit energy by damaging an enemy.
- The blood of the ancestral followers is red, however, the blue spirit followers bleed white.
- Ancestral warriors mimic bulls when they lower their horns and charge.
- A Tarnished was once accepted by the ancestral followers.[17] This character was likely Great Horned Tragoth.
- The followers rejected metalworking altogether and distanced themselves from gold, silver, and the ancient smithery.
- It can be inferred that they in some way valued the Crucible due to their focus on horns.[18]
- The ancestral shamans cradle an infant in their arms, similar to the Abductor Virgins, catacombs sorcerers, the twinned armor, the Gloam-Eyed Queen,[19] and the statue of Marika in the Shadow Keep.
- The winged greathorn is chosen for its resemblance to the wings of an envoy come to reap lives.[1]
- It may depict the wings of the Death Rite Birds.[Note 2] The greathorn hammer vaguely resembles the winged scythe, which is said to depict white-winged maidens.
Trivia[]
- The greathorn hammer is carved to look like tree rings. Tree rings are used to determine the age of a tree.
- In patch 1.00, ancestral followers afflicted with Scarlet Rot worshiped at the Grand Cloister. They were later removed and replaced with Kindred of Rot.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Deathbirds
- Highlanders
- Hornsent
- Sculpted Keepers
- Servants of Death
External links[]
References[]
|
- ↑ Note: The Regal Ancestor Spirit absorbs the souls of lesser animal spirits and gains their abilities.
- ↑ Note: The Winged Greathorn resembles the blue-"feathered" wings of the death rite birds. The diminished wings of the deathbirds bear correct red feathers. Their mother, the Twinbird, was an envoy to an outer god.