 | For the video game, seek Elden Ring (game). |
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Great Elden Ring, root of the Golden Order. Anchor of all lands, giver of grace, wellspring of all joy. - The Two Fingers
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The Elden Ring (エルデンリング, Eruden Ringu) is a mysterious concept that defines the world of Elden Ring itself.[1] It is the source of the Erdtree,[2] and its various interlocking runes are a representation of the law of the world.[3] The most recent incarnation of the law it represents in the Lands Between is the Golden Order, founded by Queen Marika the Eternal. In its shattered state, many of its shards, known as Great Runes, are in the possession of the demigod offspring of Queen Marika.
Overview[]
Elden Ring art at Farum Azula
The Elden Ring is a mysterious concept that represents the law of the world.[3] Long ago, the Greater Will sent a golden star to the Lands Between bearing an Elden Beast, which later became the Elden Ring.[4] This beast was the vassal beast of the Greater Will, and the living embodiment of the concept of Order.[5]
The appearance of the Elden Ring is made up of various interlocking shapes, known as "runes", which have power over particular fundamental concepts that dictate reality in the Lands Between, such as "Death." Under the Golden Order, the runes represent the concepts of order and discipline that the demigods enforced on the physical world.[6] However, the Elden Ring has taken different appearances in the past in accordance with the laws of previous ages. One such depiction of the Elden Ring can be found in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Special beings known as Empyreans are able to become the vessel of the Elden Ring, allowing them to become gods.[7] At an unknown period in history, the Empyrean Marika became the vessel of the Elden Ring,[8] becoming a god and establishing the Golden Order by confining the Rune of Death, and began the Age of the Erdtree. At some point after the Night of Black Knives, Marika shattered the Elden Ring,[9] and its shards were claimed by her offspring, the Demigods. The current vessel of the Elden Ring is Queen Marika the Eternal.[7]
The consort of an Empyrean takes the title of lord,[10] the consorts of the vessel of the Elden Ring are known as Elden Lords. The first Elden Lord during the reign of Queen Marika was Godfrey, who was succeeded by Radagon following his banishment from the Lands Between.[11] Dragonlord Placidusax was known to be Elden Lord in the age before the Erdtree.[12]
For reasons unknown, Queen Marika used her Numen hammer to shatter the Elden Ring. Despite Radagon's attempts to repair it,[13] the Demigods warred over the Elden Ring's shards in the ensuing Shattering war.
Types of Runes[]
Several of the runes that make up the Elden Ring have particular names. These include:
- Runes - Minor fragments of power accumulated by the Tarnished to gain strength with the help of a Finger Maiden.[14]
- Rune Arc - The lower arch of the Elden Ring acts as a basin in which its blessings pool.[15] There appear to be three Rune Arcs in the current configuration of the Elden Ring.
- Great Runes - The large circular shapes that make up the central form of the Elden Ring. It is unknown if all runes in the Elden Ring can be considered Great Runes or if it is a particular name given to the runes inherited by the Demigods.
- Anchor Rings - The Great Runes inherited by Godrick the Grafted, and Morgott, the Omen King, both claim to be anchor rings. Godrick's Great Rune is known as the anchor ring found in the center of the Elden Ring.[16] Morgott's Great Rune is the anchor ring that houses the base, and proves both that he is born of the Golden Lineage, and that he is the Lord of Leyndell.[17]
- Since Mohg, Lord of Blood is Morgott's twin, his Great Rune is naturally similar to Morgott's,[18] but it is unknown if his Great Rune can be considered an anchor ring as well.
- Anchor Rings - The Great Runes inherited by Godrick the Grafted, and Morgott, the Omen King, both claim to be anchor rings. Godrick's Great Rune is known as the anchor ring found in the center of the Elden Ring.[16] Morgott's Great Rune is the anchor ring that houses the base, and proves both that he is born of the Golden Lineage, and that he is the Lord of Leyndell.[17]
- Elden Runes - Elden Runes are not given a strict definition. The seals of Queen Marika, and King Consort Radagon are both Elden Runes.[19][20][21][22] Queen Marika's Elden Rune appears at the top of the Elden Ring, as the utmost arc from which the central vertical line of the Elden Ring originates. Lord Radagon's Elden Rune is the crosshatch lattice pattern visible behind the central rings of the Elden Ring. It is unknown if there is a difference between Great Runes and Elden Runes.
- The Rune of Death - Also known as Destined Death,[23] it was originally a part of the Elden Ring, but was removed by Queen Marika in order to found the Golden Order.[24][25] It governs the deaths of the inhabitants of the Lands Between. The Rune of Death was once harboured within the sword of Queen Marika's shadowbound beast, Maliketh, the Black Blade, until a fragment of the Death Rune was stolen in the Night of the Black Knives and he sealed it within his own flesh in order to prevent Death from being stolen again.[26]
- Mending Runes - Mending Runes are special runes that are envisioned and gestated by certain people, which can be added to the Elden Ring by the player in order to repair it and embed specific ideological principles into it.[25][27][28] It is unknown whether any Mending Runes have been added to the Elden Ring prior to the player's journey.
Trivia[]
- The shape of the Elden Ring may have been inspired by various runes from RuneQuest, which Miyazaki has cited as an inspiration for his games in the past, including Elden Ring.[29]
- Notably, the Plant Rune, Truth Rune, and possibly the Fertility Rune from RuneQuest.
- Cut content suggests that additional Runes were intended to have proper names.
- The cut Abundance Twinblade and Abundance and Decay Twinblade weapons reference the "Rune of Abundance" and the "Rune of Decay" in their descriptions, belonging to Miquella and Malenia respectively.
- In the Chinese 1.00 text, the Grafted Blade Greatsword referred to a "Rune of Grafting" (“接肢”的卢恩, Jiē Zhī de Lú'ēn), likely Godrick's Great Rune. The description for Helphen's Steeple mentioned a "Life Rune" (生命卢恩, Shēngmìng Lú ēn).
- The Japanese talkmsg files refer to a "Spirit Rune" (精神ルーン, Seishin Rūn) and a "Life Rune" (生命ルーン, Seimei Rūn).
Gallery[]
See Also[]
References[]
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