Those Who Live in Death

Those Who Live in Death are a faction in Elden Ring.

Overview[]

Those Who Live in Death are humanoid skeletal creatures of variable height and equipment, characterized by their ability to resurrect upon initially being slain. This can be prevented by killing them with certain sources of holy damage, or by attacking their bones before they resurrect. They are commonly found in catacombs, graveyards, and around Deathroot. Those Who Live in Death are a product of the spread of Deathroot following the Night of Black Knives and the death of Godwyn the Golden,^[1] and fall outside the principles of the Golden Order. It is for this reason that Golden Order fundamentalists known as hunters are tasked with exterminating them, down to the last.^[2]

Those Who Live in Death are extremely weak to holy damage. They can be summoned by and occasionally found alongside Tibia Mariners.

Background[]

On the Night of Black Knives, a stolen fragment of the Rune of Death enabled the Black Knife Assassins to murder Godwyn the Golden, which marked the first death of a demigod in history.^[3] However, Ranni the Witch, a co-conspirator of the assassins, perished at the same moment by carving the cursemark of Destined Death,^[4] also known as the mark of the centipede,^[5] into her flesh. This resulted in the cursemark, which should have taken the shape of a circle, splitting into two half-wheel wounds, in turn allowing Ranni's body to perish, while Godwyn died in soul alone.^[6] Ranni lingered on as a spirit, while Godwyn was unable to die a true death,^[7] and instead continued to live within death, without a soul, becoming known as the Prince of Death.^[8]

As the first dead of the demigods, Godwyn was buried under the capital, at the Erdtree's roots.^[9] After the night of the dire plot, the Rune of Death spread across the Lands Between through the underground great tree roots, sprouting in the form of Deathroot,^[3] a source that causes those who come into contact with it to become Those Who Live in Death.^[10] Those Who Live in Death have refused the call to return to the Erdtree,^[11] and trespass beyond life's bounds.^[12] It is for this reason that they exist outside the principles of the Golden Order, and hunters among the Golden Order fundamentalists arose to exterminate defiled reason—all for the perfection of the Order.^[13] In turn, Maliketh, the Black Blade, from whom the fragment of the Rune of Death was stolen, took on the guise of Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman, and consumed Deathroot gathered for him by hunters in order to sate his appetite.^[14]

Despite the distaste for Those Who Live in Death, some of the Tarnished sympathized with them upon their return to the Lands Between, including Fia, Deathbed Companion, Lionel the Lionhearted,^[15] and Sorcerer Rogier. According to Rogier, Those Who Live in Death have committed no offense, have every right to life, and have simply touched upon a flaw in the Order.^[16]

During the time of The Tarnished (Protagonist), D, Hunter of the Dead discovered the mark of the centipede in Summonwater Village, in Limgrave,^[17] and brought it back to the Roundtable Hold. He was later murdered by Fia, who wished to return the cursemark, also known as the hallowbrand, to Godwyn.^[18] When tracked down to the Deeproot Depths, Fia reveals that she was the companion of Godwyn, the Prince of Death, and wished to be a mother and guardian to Those Who Live in Death.^[19]^[20]

Upon giving her the Cursemark of Death obtained from Ranni's corpse, Fia claims it will allow Godwyn to claim a second illustrious life and take his rightful place as the First of the Dead.^[21] She will lay with Godwyn in order to conceive a child that will serve as the new life of Godwyn, that will take the form of the rune of Those Who Live in Death.^[22] Fia asks The Tarnished (Protagonist) to brandish her child and become their Elden Lord by staying the persecution of Those Who Live in Death.^[23] Embedding the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince into the Elden Ring, it will restore Death and embed the principle of life within Death into the Order.^[24]

Enemies[]

Weaknesses[]

Weapons that inflict bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

Spells that inflict bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

Litany of Proper Death (+900%)
Order's Blade (+100%)

Weapon skills that inflict bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

Consumables that deal bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

Notes[]

Tibia Mariners, Wormfaces, Basilisks, and Ulcerated Tree Spirits are not counted among the enemies weak to anti-Those Who Live in Death damage sources despite their adjacency to Those Who Live in Death and/or Death blight.

Gallery[]

References[]

↑ Skeletal Bandit Ashes
↑ D, Hunter of the Dead: "Those Who Live in Death fall outside the principles of the Golden Order. Their mere existence sullies the guidance of gold. Tainting its truth. And so it is the vermin must be exterminated... Down to the very last."
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Deathroot
↑ Ranni the Witch: "But I would not acquiesce to the Two Fingers. I stole the Rune of Death, slew mine own Empyrean flesh, casting it away. I would not be controlled by that thing."
↑ Sorcerer Rogier: "D was telling me. That he discovered the mark of the centipede. The centipede is an ancient symbol of the cursemark."
↑ Cursemark of Death
↑ Prince of Death's Cyst
↑ Godwyn's Wet Nurse: "Oh, Lord Godwyn... Such cruelty, such humiliation... My poor, sweet lordling should have died a true death. As the first of the demigods to die. As a martyr to Destined Death. But why must it yet bring such disgrace? A scion of the golden bough, sentenced to live in Death... How could such a thing come to be..."
↑ Prince of Death's Pustule
↑ Skeletal Militiamen Ashes
↑ Stranded Souls: "Unthinkable. Our hallowed resting place is violated. To refuse the Erdtree's call to return, to live within Death... Sickening."
↑ Holy Water Pot
↑ Litany of Proper Death
↑ Gurranq, Beast Clergyman: "More... I am not...sated. Feed me more...Death."
↑ Lionel's Set
↑ Sorcerer Rogier: "You may find this peculiar, but I discovered something in my examination of the Night of the Black Knives. These souls have committed no offence. They have every right to life, only, they happened to touch upon a flaw in the Order."
↑ D, Hunter of the Dead: "I have a matter of my own to attend to. I spotted the mark of the centipede here in the village. An ill-omened symbol that should not be. Someone, or something, threatens the sanctity of the Golden Order. And must be eradicated."
↑ Fia, Deathbed Companion: "Finally, it is returned to its rightful place. The stolen hallowbrand, of the exalted noble."
↑ Fia, Deathbed Companion: "I see. Then you must kill me. For I am the companion of Godwyn, Prince of Death. I wished to be a mother to Those Who Live in Death."
↑ Fia, Deathbed Companion: "I am the guardian of Those Who Live in Death. They call me a foul and rotten witch."
↑ Fia, Deathbed Companion: "Oh, my utmost thanks. With this, Godwyn can take his rightful place as First of the Dead. And claim a second, illustrious life."
↑ Fia, Deathbed Companion: "I will soon lay with Godwyn. And it will surely stir within me. the new life of the golden prince, and first Dead of the demigods, as the rune of Those Who Live in Death. Please, do one thing for me. Brandish this child, my rune, and take for yourself the throne."
↑ Fia, Deathbed Companion: "Please, do one thing for me. Brandish this child, my rune, and take for yourself the throne. Stay the persecution of Those Who Live in Death. By becoming our Elden Lord."
↑ Mending Rune of the Death-Prince

[1] Skeletal Bandit Ashes

[2] D, Hunter of the Dead: "Those Who Live in Death fall outside the principles of the Golden Order. Their mere existence sullies the guidance of gold. Tainting its truth. And so it is the vermin must be exterminated... Down to the very last."

[:0-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Deathroot

[4] Ranni the Witch: "But I would not acquiesce to the Two Fingers. I stole the Rune of Death, slew mine own Empyrean flesh, casting it away. I would not be controlled by that thing."

[5] Sorcerer Rogier: "D was telling me. That he discovered the mark of the centipede. The centipede is an ancient symbol of the cursemark."

[6] Cursemark of Death

[7] Prince of Death's Cyst

[8] Godwyn's Wet Nurse: "Oh, Lord Godwyn... Such cruelty, such humiliation... My poor, sweet lordling should have died a true death. As the first of the demigods to die. As a martyr to Destined Death. But why must it yet bring such disgrace? A scion of the golden bough, sentenced to live in Death... How could such a thing come to be..."

[9] Prince of Death's Pustule

[10] Skeletal Militiamen Ashes

[11] Stranded Souls: "Unthinkable. Our hallowed resting place is violated. To refuse the Erdtree's call to return, to live within Death... Sickening."

[12] Holy Water Pot

[13] Litany of Proper Death

[14] Gurranq, Beast Clergyman: "More... I am not...sated. Feed me more...Death."

[15] Lionel's Set

[16] Sorcerer Rogier: "You may find this peculiar, but I discovered something in my examination of the Night of the Black Knives. These souls have committed no offence. They have every right to life, only, they happened to touch upon a flaw in the Order."

[17] D, Hunter of the Dead: "I have a matter of my own to attend to. I spotted the mark of the centipede here in the village. An ill-omened symbol that should not be. Someone, or something, threatens the sanctity of the Golden Order. And must be eradicated."

[18] Fia, Deathbed Companion: "Finally, it is returned to its rightful place. The stolen hallowbrand, of the exalted noble."

[19] Fia, Deathbed Companion: "I see. Then you must kill me. For I am the companion of Godwyn, Prince of Death. I wished to be a mother to Those Who Live in Death."

[20] Fia, Deathbed Companion: "I am the guardian of Those Who Live in Death. They call me a foul and rotten witch."

[21] Fia, Deathbed Companion: "Oh, my utmost thanks. With this, Godwyn can take his rightful place as First of the Dead. And claim a second, illustrious life."

[22] Fia, Deathbed Companion: "I will soon lay with Godwyn. And it will surely stir within me. the new life of the golden prince, and first Dead of the demigods, as the rune of Those Who Live in Death. Please, do one thing for me. Brandish this child, my rune, and take for yourself the throne."

[23] Fia, Deathbed Companion: "Please, do one thing for me. Brandish this child, my rune, and take for yourself the throne. Stay the persecution of Those Who Live in Death. By becoming our Elden Lord."

[24] Mending Rune of the Death-Prince

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Those Who Live in Death

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