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Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. In the embrace of Messmer's flame. - Messmer the Impaler
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Messmer the Impaler is a mandatory Remembrance boss in Shadow of the Erdtree. He is a Demigod who is encountered in the Shadow Keep and the source of the Messmer's Flame Incantations.
Overview[]
Messmer was born to Queen Marika the Eternal prior to the Second Liurnian War.[6] His birth was cursed by a dark entity, an evil serpent coiled within that threatened to subsume him.[8] Known to Messmer as the Abyssal Serpent,[9] this force was restrained only through Marika's intervention—she removed her son's right eye and replaced it with a seal of her Grace.[3] Ever since his accursed birth, Messmer was in constant company of the winged serpents, friends who suppressed the base serpent.[5]
Much like his younger sister, Messmer bore a vision of fire.[8] He despised this flame, and time and time again hoped to rid himself of it, but found that it ever burned.[10]
At some point, Messmer befriended Commander Gaius, an Albinauric who like him was cursed from birth. Gaius would go on to command Messmer's armies in the wars to come. They both acted as "older brothers" to General Radahn.[6]
The Crusade[]
Messmer conquered the hornsent
- Main article: Crusade
Before the Shattering, Messmer was charged by his mother with carrying out a purge of the tower-dwelling hornsent of the Land of Shadow, who did not bear the light of grace. At some point during his Crusade, Messmer was abandoned in the Land of Shadow, but continued to zealously enforce the purge even though Marika ceased all contact with him. Messmer came to reside in a fort known as the Shadow Keep.
Key in his army were the Black Knights, commanded by Black Knight Commander Andreas and his son and second-in-command Black Knight Captain Huw. Although they remained devoutly loyal to Messmer despite his abandonment by Marika, they ultimately rebelled upon learning of his serpentine nature. The pair were imprisoned in an underground tomb, and despite his betrayal, Messmer mourned the loss of Huw, whom he had considered a brother-in-arms.[11] [12] His Fire Knights rebelled against burning the Ancient Ruins of Rauh and the destruction of the specimens in the Specimen Storehouse.[13][14]
Eventually, an intruder invaded Messmer's stronghold, the Shadow Keep, and was noticed by the demigod's serpents, who identified them as a Tarnished Champion and a pretender to the title of Elden Lord. Though surprised that a Tarnished had come to the Land of Shadow, Messmer nonetheless attacked them to continue enforcing the purge. However, the serpentine demigod struggled overcome the Tarnished. Unwilling to accept "a Lord devoid of light" and desperate to regain the upper hand, Messmer ripped out Marika's seal and unleashed the power of the Abyssal Serpent, allowing him to frequently transform into a massive serpent. Nonetheless, the Tarnished was able to land a fatal blow upon Messmer. Realizing that his mother had indeed forsaken him, Messmer used his dying breath to curse Marika.
Boss Fight[]
Messmer is not an optional boss as he must be defeated in order to acquire Messmer's Kindling that would allow the burning of the Sealing Tree.
Hornsent can be summoned for this boss. His summon sign is found inside of the boss room, and will appear if the player decides to side with him against Leda or ignore this part of Leda's quest.
| Moveset List | |
| Spear Thrust | Phase 1 & 2 |
|---|---|
| Thrusts his spear forward combined with another string of attacks that include a flame spell. | |
| Double Spear Swing | Phase 1 & 2 |
| Swings his spear to the right and left. | |
| Flame Spear Thrust | Phase 1 |
| Pulls back his right arm and flames will engulf the spear. After a quick hold, will thrust his spear upwards. | |
| Flaming Spear Lunge | Phase 1 |
| Will leap into the air as he thrusts his weapon and then crash on the ground with his spear engulfed in flames. | |
| Leaping Fire Spear Throw | Phase 1 & 2 |
| Leaps high in the air at mid-range and throws his spear very fast. | |
| Flaming Assault | Phase 1 |
This is a string of flame attacks combined with flame spells. While the spear is engulfed in flames, he will cast spells with his flaming right hand and he will do the following attacks:
When he's finished with the first 3, he can follow up with the first and third move, especially if you're close to him when he finishes the first string of attacks. | |
| Airborne Sweeps Combo | Phase 1 |
Combo consisting of few attacks
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| Messmer's Assault | Phase 1 |
Combo consisting of few attacks
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| Messmer's Orb | Phase 1 & 2 |
| Leaps into the air and summons a fireball in hand before charging. | |
| Spear Fire Barrage | Phase 2 |
| Will fly around while swinging his spear and suddenly stop to release a flurry of flaming spear attacks, ending with a spear slam to the ground. | |
| Serpent Fireball | Phase 2 |
| Transforms into a big red serpent and slams a big fireball. | |
| Triple Serpent Bite | Phase 2 |
| Quickly transforms into a serpent to bite you three times ending with a bite slam to the ground.
Another version is you can see him in the center of the pool of red liquid while three Serpent heads are visible. The Serpent heads will strike successively and after the third strike, Messmer will follow up with a Flaming Spear Lunge attack, where he flies up, pauses mid-air, and slams his spear onto the ground to create an explosive area around him. | |
Phase One[]
The attacks of Messmer the Impaler are imbued with fire damage, making him a formidable opponent who relies heavily on his spear's reach and agility. To proceed in this boss fight, readiness for his swift movements is important. When fighting Messmer at a close range, you will have more chances of retaliating and chipping away at his health while he recovers. Engaging Messmer patiently is the best strategy to effectively take him down. When he finishes a string of attacks, focus on breaking his poise by pulling off heavy attacks for a chance to deal significant damage.
Because of his speed, Messmer can quickly transition between offense and defense by quickly disengaging with a leap after he finishes a move. Be aware that Messmer counters swiftly after sustaining damage, too. As his speed and precision in combat are his biggest asset, observation is required to avoid being overwhelmed. Once Messmer's health is half-depleted, a cutscene will trigger, which will start Messmer's second phase.
Phase Two[]
During the second phase, Base Serpent Messmer remains at 50% HP and not only retains his original attacks, but also introduces a set of new and more lethal attacks with the help of the Abyssal Serpent. Among the fresh additions to his move set is the ability to transform into a big red serpent that rises up to the ground to throw a fireball or do bite attacks.
Notes[]
- Messmer, much like his siblings Malenia and Miquella, was also born cursed. Exactly when he was born remains unknown as all mention of him was erased by his mother after she abandoned him in the Land of Shadow.
- Messmer did, however, act as an elder brother to Radahn, who is older than the twins, making Messmer at the very least their older brother.
- In one of the item descriptions of Messmer's Kindling it says that "His younger sister also bore a vision of fire", possibly relating to Melina. She serves as kindling to burn the Erdtree, and so too did Messmer have kindling capable of burning a tree.
- While unconfirmed, Messmer is implied to be a child of Radagon:
- He is red-haired, a trait commonly seen in Radagon's children.
- He was born cursed, much like Malenia and Miquella, who were born "from a single god".
- There are four butterfly items shown in the game and its expansion: Nascent - Miquella, Aeonian - Malenia, Smouldering - Melina, and Black Pyrefly - Messmer.
- Radagon's motif is present in the soundtrack of Messmer's fight.
- If Messmer is a child of Marika-Radagon, then he had the potential to rise as an Empyrean.[15]
- Upon his defeat, Messmer denounces his mother and curses her with his dying breath.[16] This is the only time he refers to Marika by name.
Trivia[]
- Messmer's name may be a nod to German physician Franz Mesmer, who theorized about the existence of "animal magnetism" (a universal, invisible force or "magnetic fluid" that he supposed connected all living things and was capable of curing diseases, later referred to as mesmerism). Mesmerism would eventually come to be associated with hypnosis and is today considered a synonym for the former (with the term "mesmerizing" coined after it).[17]
- Messmer's epithet is most likely inspired by Vlad III, commonly known as "Vlad the Impaler" (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș; rendered in Japanese as "串刺し公" (Kushizashi Kō)), who was one of the historical inspirations for Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. Like Vlad III, Messmer has a notable draconic motif: while "Dracula" means "son of the dragon" (Vlad's father was called Vlad Dracul), Messmer for his part wears a helm shaped like a dragon's head, dons armor resembling the Drake Knight set, and has a snake with dragon wings.
- Messmer's visual design was likely inspired by the marble sculpture of Laocoön and His Sons, which depicts a pair of serpents winding circuitously around a priest and his sons, whose divine punishment for attempting to destroy the Trojan Horse and expose the trap is misinterpreted by the Trojans as proof that Laocoön was the real traitor and that the horse was trustworthy. This sculpture is famous for being one of the greatest examples of dynamic motion and emotion of its time.
- Messmer has an unused voice line that would have played during the cinematic for his boss fight. He would have told the Tarnished, "Miquella spoke of thee..."
Dialogue[]
| English Dialogue |
| Upon Entering the Arena: |
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| "Mongrel intruder." |
| Thou'rt... Tarnished, it seemth. |
| Mother, wouldst thou truly Lordship sanction, |
| in one so bereft of light? |
| Yet... My purpose standeth unchanged. |
| Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. |
| In the embrace of Messmer's flame. |
| Upon Player Death (Phase 1): |
| Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death in the embrace of Messmer's flame. |
| Upon Phase Transition: |
| Gah... hah... |
| I will not suffer... |
| A lord devoid of light. |
| O mother, forgive me. |
| Grah! |
| A-Argh... |
| Gah... Phew... |
| Soon, Tarnished. |
| Wilt thou be taken in the jaws... |
| Of the abyssal serpent, shorn of light. |
| Upon Player Death (Phase 2): |
| O lightless creature... embrace thine oblivion, as shall I. |
| Upon Defeat: |
| Mother... Marika... |
| A curse...upon thee... |
| Pre-release Trailer Dialogue |
| Mother, wouldst thou truly Lordship sanction, |
| in one so bereft of light? |
| Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. |
| In the embrace of Messmer's flame. |
| Japanese Dialogue |
| Trailer Dialogue |
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| 母は、本当に王たるを託したのか
Mother, would you truly permit them to be a Lord? |
| 光無き者などに
Those without light? |
| 黄金の祝福無き全てに、死を
Death to those without Grace. |
| ・・・メスメルの火を
with Mesmer’s Flame. |
Gallery[]
References[]
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