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The old grave keepers are boatsmen, and continue to summon the dead even after withering away. |
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Tibia Mariners are optional bosses in Elden Ring.
Mariners are grave keepers who ferry lost souls across a sea in the spirit world.[1][2][3][4] They navigate their spectral vessels through ghostly waters with alpine horns that, when blown, summon Those Who Live in Death.[5] Their movement is not restricted to water when they appear in the Lands Between.
Background[]
A mariner paddles through purple spirit waters
The Tibia Mariners were the first of all grave keepers in the Lands Between.[6] They beckon Those Lost in Death by blowing into their hollow oars.[5][7] They have guided the dead to the Gravesite Plain for an eternity,[3] unbothered by their bones having long since crumbled to dust.[1]
The ancient mariners themselves were laid to rest amongst the crimson fields of Charo's Hidden Grave.[8] Their secrets were inherited by future generations of grave keepers,[9] who used their skulls as catalysts for summoning wandering spirits.[10] Their boats, or recreations of them, were prominently displayed in the Shadow Keep's Church District. The importance of the oarsmen was recognized even amongst the living.
The Golden Order[]
The Tibia Mariners were suppressed when the Rune of Death was removed from the Elden Ring.[5] In their absence, those without Marika's Grace who met a glorious end in battle were left to wander.[11][12] The heroes of her Golden Order received Erdtree Burial,[13] and had no need for the archaic ferrymen.[14]
When Godwyn the Golden was buried at the base of the Erdtree, he soon transformed into the piscine Prince of Death.[15] The blight leaked from his body and infected the great tree roots, and manifested itself as Deathroot throughout the Lands Between.[16] The Tibia Mariners slowly resurfaced, and Those Who Live in Death answered their call.[5][17]
Gurranq the Beast Clergyman charges D, Hunter of the Dead, and the Tarnished to hunt down the Tibia Mariners and reap their Deathroot.[18] He believes he can restore the sanctity of the Golden Order by absorbing the residual fragments of Destined Death.[19][20][21]
Encounters[]
Summonwater Village[]
A Tibia Mariner encountered in Summonwater Village in north-eastern Limgrave. D, Hunter of the Dead, can be found nearby to offer a warning about the mariner in the village, and is also available as a summonable co-operator for the fight. The mariner will summon skeletons regularly throughout the fight.
Liurnia of the Lakes[]
A Tibia Mariner encountered on the eastern plateau of Liurnia of the Lakes, in a graveyard near the Carian Study Hall and south-east of the Artist's Shack (Liurnia). This Mariner can summon Skeletal Militiamen.
Wyndham Ruins[]
A Tibia Mariner encountered in Wyndham Ruins in Altus Plateau. It is surrounded by many skeletons, and can summon giant skeletons during combat. The giant skeletons are able to fire death beams from their eye sockets.
Mountaintops of the Giants[]
A Tibia Mariner encountered on a cliff face overlooking Castle Sol upon the Mountaintops of the Giants. Unlike other Tibia Mariners, this one does not have a health bar. He may be fought at the same time as the nearby Death Rite Bird during the night. Similarly, this mariner is able to detect and aggro the player from a vast distance away. The path to him through the graveyard is treacherous as he can summon the giant skeletons that fire death beams from their eye sockets.
Charo's Hidden Grave[]
A Tibia Mariner at Charo's Hidden Grave solemnly patrols a quiet river flanked by fields of iridescent crimson lilies. When frightened, he teleports up a small waterfall and summons a Royal Revenant. If pushed further, he eventually retreats behind a large aggregation of gravestones where several strong skeletons await his call.Drops[]
| Location | HP | Drops |
|---|---|---|
| Summonwater Village, Stormhill | 3,176 |  2,400Deathroot Skeletal Militiaman Ashes |
| Carian Study Hall, Liurnia of the Lakes (East) | 5,155 | 4,700 Deathroot Skeletal Bandit Ashes |
| Wyndham Ruins, Altus Plateau | 7,911 | 14,000 Deathroot Tibia's Summons |
| Overlooking Castle Sol, Mountaintops of the Giants | 9,290 | 4,234 Deathroot Helphen's Steeple |
| Charo's Hidden Grave | 20,618 | 9,959 Tibia's Cookbook |
Moveset[]
- While the Tibia Mariners themselves curiously enough are not counted as among Those Who Live in Death, their minions are and usage of specialized anti-undead equipment will make it easier to isolate the mariner.
- In terms of combat ability, these enemies are quite weak on their own, especially against ranged attacks. Their main threat comes from the allies they summon and the fact that they typically operate in large combat areas, periodically teleporting to different positions.
- Given that they all fight among ruins, it can be challenging to locate them after they teleport, and the constant stream of summoned allies can become overwhelming. To counter this, your primary tactic should be to ignore the summoned allies entirely. Instead, use Torrent whenever possible to quickly locate the mariner, then hit them hard and fast before his friends have a chance to regroup.
Appearance[]
The seated Tibia Mariner uses an alphorn to paddle his incorporeal rowboat across ethereal, violet waters. His body is skeletonized, save for the wizened beard that clings to his slack mandible. A floral pattern decorates the white-laced chapel veil that rests upon his head and drapes over his bony frame. Attached to the veil are wide, golden hoops, each adorned with three large golden flower emblems inlaid with rubies. The mariner's forearms are wrapped in cloth, and several gold bracelets hang from his wrists. He wears the tattered remains of robes sewn from purple thread.
The mariner's transparent wooden rowboat shimmers with a faint purple hue. A chair is built into its deck, with a semi-circle cut into the backrest to create a depression at the top. Spiral patterns ascend its stile and backpost before transitioning into straight lines beaming upward. The backpost extends several feet higher than the chair and terminates in an upward concave arch reminiscent of Marika's Rune. Hanging ventrally from it is a small lantern alight with a purple ghostflame.[22] The boat's exterior hull is highly decorated with intricate relief carvings. Two adjacent floral embellishments are encircled by spiral-containing rings and bound together with a sturdy knot. The gunwale trim above features a wavelength weaving over and under stars, possibly symbolic of the Primeval Current.
The mariner will sometimes whip up a great torrent of water that carries his boat high into the air. When it reaches it apex, he extends his arm, and a bright red light emanates from a jewel in his palm. This light is said to beckon the lost spirits of those slain in battle.[11]
The dry and metallic moans of the mariner eerily echo upon themselves as if uttered from deep within a dungeon. When he sounds his lengthy brass horn, a single clang of metal deeply reverberates like a tolling bell. When cast, his ancient Death magic produces a haunting noise like the crashing of cymbals.[2]
Notes[]
- It is unclear whether the resurgence of the mariners is linked to the boats at the Shadow Keep. It could be an act of iconoclasm, or evidence the unsung heroes of Messmer's crusade now revere the ferrymen in their own way.[23]
- It is unclear whether the Tibia Mariners played a role in delivering the Stone coffins now beached on the Cerulean Coast.[24]
- They appear to be leaders among Those Who Live in Death[5], and each one carries Deathroot.
- Only one non-boss Tibia Mariner can be encountered. They are in the Mountaintops of the Giants, north-west of the Snow Valley Ruins Overlook Site of Grace.
- The Tibia Mariners lack of Holy damage vulnerability may be attributed to being part spirit.
Trivia[]
- The Tibia Mariners deeply resemble Charon, ferryman of the dead, and the titular character from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.[8]
- The detailing on the external hull of the mariners' boats may be interpreted as an infinity symbol (∞) representative of an endless cycle of life and death.
- The spectral boats piloted by the mariners are literal "ghost ships."
- Mariners are internally referred to as "Night King's Kin". The specific word used for "Kin" isn't limited to someone that is related by blood as it also includes those with similar goals, which is consistent with how "kindred" is used in-game.
- The "Night King" title is otherwise used for the Lord of Night awaited by the Nox (see: Nox Swordstress Armor).
- The massive figures seated in the Crypt Chairs of the Eternal Cities vaguely resemble the Tibia Mariners. However, their outfits and chairs are quite different upon closer inspection.
- Some of the red Second-Generation Albinauric can summon the mariners' Giant Skeleton.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Deathbird
- Gravebird
- Twinbird
- Usher of Death, Rosus
- Larval Tear (spirit)
- Polterstone
References[]
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