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In the age of the Elden Ring, and Queen Marika, the precious Empyrean was born. A new god to forge a new Order. |
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Empyreans (神人, Shinjin) are important characters in Elden Ring.
Overview[]
Empyreans are special Demigods with the potential to reach full godhood. They are successors to Queen Marika the Eternal—selected by the Two Fingers[1]—capable of reshaping the Elden Ring to forge a new Order.[2] One such way in which they can achieve this is by becoming the vessel of the Elden Ring.[3] Empyreans fully consummate their godhood when their chosen consort confers Great Runes and brandishes the Elden Ring, becoming the Elden Lord.[4][5]
Empyreans are served by warrior vassals of unerring loyalty, which may come in the form of wolves.[6] Shadowbound beasts, sometimes simply referred to as "shadows," are custom-tailored by the Two Fingers to ensure the Demigod follows the right path.[7] Though incapable of treachery towards their Empyrean, should their master resist the will of the Two Fingers, they will descend into madness, becoming a curse rather than a protector.[8] The three known shadowbound beasts are: Maliketh, who serves Marika; Blaidd, who serves Ranni; and the Baleful Shadow, which had no Empyrean master and served the Two Fingers directly.
Empyreans can ascend to godhood through different methods. Marika was able to ascend using the Gate of Divinity, gathering the Runes of thousands of hornsent sacrificed to build it. Miquella was able to use the Gate too after divesting himself of his physical body, through a secret rite involving Radahn as his Lord and by using the bounty of his Great Rune[9]. Malenia could ascend by letting her Rot bloom three times[10] while Ranni needed to find her Order by "going to the night sky"[11].
List of Empyreans[]
| Empyrean | Shadow | Consort | Law of Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Marika the Eternal[12] | Maliketh, the Black Blade | 1. Godfrey 2. Radagon of the Golden Order 3. The Tarnished (optional)[13] |
Law of Regression Law of Causality |
| The Gloam-Eyed Queen[14] | - | - | - |
| Ranni the Witch[1] | Blaidd the Half-Wolf[15] | The Tarnished (optional) | Law of the Moon[16] |
| Malenia, Goddess of Rot[1] | - | - | Law of Decay Law of Rebirth[17] |
| Miquella the Kind[1] | - | Promised Consort Radahn | Law of Kindness[18] |
Background[]
The most prominent Empyrean was Queen Marika, a golden-haired Numen from the Shaman Village. A descendant of denizens of another world,[19] she was selected and guided by the Two Fingers toward true godhood.[20] Through seduction and betrayal,[21] Marika ascended at the Gate of Divinity, located atop the tower of Enir-Ilim.[22] There, she acquired threads of the Elden Ring, became its vessel, and created her Order.[3] She later used a Golden Seed to transform the Crucible into the Erdtree,[23] and eventually shattered the Elden Ring. Her shadow was Maliketh and her consorts were Lord Godfrey and Serosh, and later her other half, Lord Radagon.[citation needed]
Another Empyrean, known as the Gloam-Eyed Queen, wielded the god-slaying black flame and raised the Godskin Apostles. She challenged Marika's established Order by leading her followers on a god hunt.[24][25][26] However, she was defeated in battle by Marika's shadowbound beast, Maliketh, the Black Blade.[12][27][28] Marika then extracted the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring and Maliketh sealed it within his Black Blade.[29] This act severed the source of the Gloam-Eyed Queen's power and created the Golden Order.[30][31][32] The identities and deeds of her shadow and consort remain unclear.
During the Age of the Erdtree, three Empyreans were named as Marika's potential successors: Miquella, Malenia and Ranni.[1] Miquella and Malenia were twins born of a single god, being the children of both Marika and her second consort Radagon, a champion created from Marika's own being. Their powerful lineage made them prime candidates for Empyrean.[33] Ranni, on the other hand, was the daughter of Radagon and his former wife, Queen Rennala of the Full Moon, prior to his union with Marika. This demonstrates that being the child of two full gods is not a strict requirement to become an Empyrean, as Ranni herself was only a demigod. Miquella saw a tender kindness in General Radahn and made a vow to select him as his future consort.[34]
Game events[]
"I promise you. A thousand year voyage guided by compassion."
Miquella himself was able to ascend to godhood,[35] but was defeated by the Tarnished before he could reach Fractured Marika and bring about his envisioned Age of Compassion.[36][37][38] Unlike her brother, Malenia rejected her destiny and abandoned the Servants of Rot.[39][40] However, she would briefly ascend as the Goddess of Rot during her battle with the same Tarnished warrior but was similarly defeated, yet fated to bloom once more.[41] As for Ranni, she has the potential to bring about her Age of Stars with the assistance of the Tarnished, who she makes her consort.[42] The Tarnished can become Marika's third consort, using her imprisoned form to bring about the Ages of Fracture, Order, Age of the Duskborn, or introduce the Blessing of Despair.[43]
Notes[]
- Each Empyrean typically bonds with their Lord consort near their ascension to godhood.[44]
- Whether all Empyreans are granted a Shadow is unclear, as there is no concrete evidence of Miquella nor Malenia receiving shadowbound beasts.
- Dragonlord Placidusax's unnamed god was also an Empyrean who was once a vessel to the Elden Ring, apropos to his own title as Elden Lord.[45]
- Mohg, Lord of Blood wished to be Miquella's consort but was used to house the soul of Radahn.[46][47]
Trivia[]
- "Empyrean" refers to the highest heaven in ancient and medieval cosmology, usually consisting of fire or light. It can also refer to the firmament (the heavens) or an ideal place or state.[48] In Japanese, Empyreans are referred to as 神人 (Shinjin; lit. "Divine Person", "God-like Person").[49]
Miquella has cut dialogue phrased similar to the speech given by Ranni the Witch during her Age of Stars ending.[50]
Gallery[]
See also[]
References[]
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