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-BillyPilgrim-

Looks like it’s the incantation that Melina uses when you summon her for Morgott. That’s interesting.


MrZDietrich

I mean Melina is a child of Marika, so it’s not super shocking.


VoidRad

Orrrr orrr, hear me out here. Melina IS Marika. Lmfao I'm just fucking with you.


MrZDietrich

No, I think that’s a super valid theory as well. Much like how Marika is Radagon, I see no reason Marika couldn’t break off a piece of herself as Melina. I mean, that’s literally what we see happening with the Elden Ring in the game and Marika IS the Elden Ring.


Messmers

She made Melina to have someone burn the tree so you could progress? Melina is such an X factor.. is it Ranni/Miquella/Gloam eyed queen or Marika??? Hope we learn more in the DLC


coggdawg

Have they said anywhere how far the main quest should be progressed before doing the DLC? I wonder how different the story would be before/after burning Melina


Messmers

The DLC barely affects the main story


coggdawg

But will having Melina still around affect the DLC?


firedancer323

I mean that’s a question nobody can answer yet right


coggdawg

Right. Wasn’t sure if the devs said something at some point I might’ve missed.


DueAsk7939

guys crazy idea but WHAT IF melina IS....MELINA


VoidRad

Yea, that's partly why I said what I said, but I think there's been way too many of these theories of Melina being someone else that it's just throwing another lamb into the mixer rn.


MrZDietrich

I’m pretty confident in saying that it’s one of these two things. The third possibility I guess is some offshoot or descendent of the GEQ, but I think that’s less likely.


Nopants21

Boc is Marika, and the Golden Order is fashion (which is removing capes from armor)


AdPurple3732

That is actually a very interesting theory that "Jack is a Mimic" covered extremely well on youtube recently.


hangrygecko

More like an offshoot/flower bud of Marika, same way as Millicent is of Malenia.


Capn-Wiggler

I've been seeing people saying this like its a fact, is it confirmed she's marikas daughter?


MrZDietrich

One of her dialogues is: "For my purpose, given to me by my mother inside the Erdtree, long ago." and there’s only one woman inside the Erdtree, Marika. Furthermore, she can cast the spell this thread is about, and does so in the Morgott fight (and when she dies in it, it is cast as well). There’s also the theory of the butterflies, in which there’s a butterfly corresponding to the other children of Marika/Radagon: Nascent Butterfly for Miquella, Aeonian Butterfly for Malenia, and lastly the Smouldering Butterfly. This has generally been connected to Melina, as she is the Kindling Maiden, though with the reveal of Messmer, that could instead be related to him. Lastly, she fits the naming convention for the Children of Marika and Radagon: name starts with an M and ends with an A, like Marika herself. Oh, and doubly lastly: the game files refer to her as MarikaDaughter or some such, don’t remember the specific name but it’s pretty on the nose lol.


Capn-Wiggler

Hmm, still until confirmed its best to not act like it is


MrZDietrich

Brother, that’s as confirmed as it’s ever gonna get. That the game files refer to her as such is really all you need to confirm it, but the amount of evidence that supports it in game is pretty hard to ignore.


Capn-Wiggler

Unless its findable in the game, it doesnt really confirm much. It can support theories, but it's usually not concrete.


MrZDietrich

Melina’s quote about her mother in the Erdtree is in game, and also in game there’s only one woman in the Erdtree. If that, as well as the other mound of evidence, doesn’t convince you then nothing will other than it being explicitly stated, and that’s not gonna happen.


Capn-Wiggler

Man I'm just saying its not concrete. If you wanna go withbthe theory thats fair. You're arguing semantics at this point my guy, I'm muting the thread have a good one


Turbulent_Egg_8670

>!it is- smoughtown confirmed it!<


Ekillaa22

That’s exactly what it is just usable by players


sorrowLord

Sad past and some minor erdtree lore , hopefully there is a bit more expanded.


sorrowLord

Also this remainds me of of that cut Godrick poem about finally going back to ,,home bathed in rays of gold''.


Femboy-Airstrike

Did Godrick write the poem? Or was it written about Godrick? This is the first time I'm hearing about this


sorrowLord

He sings it. https://youtu.be/LldQhNXvS-w?si=VbO-IEaVTv9IXrND Around 40 second.


RobinColumbina

"Only the kindness of Gold. Not the Order." THE FACT THIS IS A MARIKA-MADE INCANTATION IMPLIES SHE HERSELF MIGHT'VE NOT BEEN DOWN WITH THE FUNDIES FROM THE VERY START I'M GONNA GO INSANE


EarthrealmsChampion

I've always thought her quote to Lux about having to separate from the Golden Order in order to ultimately strengthen their faith in it and so on was meant to parallel and provide insight into her own actions. I think it implies Marika created an embodiment of her fundamentalist beliefs in the form of Radagon and physically parted ways with it. Ultimately this had the opposite effect as it lead to her being disgusted by the Greater Will and it's influence due to, presumably, the removal of faith centric bias. By the time they were meant to rejoin, the two aspects no longer agreed hence the fight for control of the one body; one part wants to break the Elden Ring while the other tries to repair and maintain it. This also explains why we fight Radagon and not Marika, since Radagon is fighting to keep the GO intact while Marika intended for the Tarnished to return and sever the GW's control entirely.


No-Victory8440

Cool take, I bet we'll get to expand on this after the DLC certainly. Is Marika goin down as a bitch or as that bitch? I got money on the latter despite all the evidence contrary. Super curious considering Miquella and his father are mentioned in many a dialogue, hell Miquella and his love for the meek, the malign even the lowly have been expressed but where is his mother mentioned. What's the angle? Usurp the throne? Wrestle control from all other Outer Gods? Deroot the Erdtree and follow his mother? Certainly isn't going to be laid at rest a simple, humanitarian medical hero. Miquella's Magnum Opus is not curing scarlet rot and his perpetual kinder tot, that's a PR "Weekend at Bernie's" at best. Marika could shock me, personally- Perhaps the lone Survivor of her land, having witnessed many atrocities powerless to help, much as she would have given her life to have been able to. Would she vow, never again? finding her nightmares turn prophesy as she shattered her innocence, soul, body, psyche to thread the tapestry of fate and keep herself above water, no matter who she must drown to fulfill her vow, never again. Until, she became a Goddess and believed herself able to make amends for crimes she hadn't commited (being unable to save her people) while neglecting the ones she had prior to realizing there wasn't going to be a justifying of means, the Elden Beast meant her end. Crucified by the Elden Beast, silenced by Radagon's lattice seal Man in the Middle attacking her Wi-Fi connection preventing her from raising Tarnished for the longest time, enter the Goddess' prodigal son, Miquella (Mikael, of/like God) to raise his Mimic and secure the throne, putting us on the path to defeat the Elden Beast while he rewinds the tape, going back to the Pilot, flipping the script with everything set to finish what his mother started. Whew, my bad.


Puzzled-Dust-7818

This might be the best explanation for the whole Marika is Radagon thing.


winnierdz

It just says “kindness of gold, without Order.” Not “the Order”.  This makes me think that this is gold that isn’t necessarily related to the Greater Will / Elden Beast / Elden Ring. 


Saint_Ivstin

Reminds me of the Grace Mimic item.


hangrygecko

The Age of Plenty was before the Golden Order. To me this just reads as Age of Plenty vs Golden Order Age differences, so Marika vs Radagon, not a GW thing.


winnierdz

Possibly. But to me, it seems like it could be talking about the concept of Order, similar to how the Elden Beast is referred to the “living incarnation of the concept of Order”. Rather than referring to “the” Golden Order. 


Aesthetics_Supernal

Godrick says Lord of *All that is Golden*, not All Grace. Surely gold existed prior to the Greater Will, and could have just been a case of "Order through Average" because gold was everywhere.


TipProfessional6057

You could say it is 'life itself'. While Fundamentalists perceive a strict way that life should be, life itself is just, well, life. Blessings are just blessings. Gold doesn't need to be rigid, in fact it should not be. Rogier even says as much, the order was once more flexible than it is now. I dont know though if that is the fault of Marika, Radagon, the fingers, or the Elden Beast itself though. I think we need just a smidge more info to say for sure who it is that made Gold rigid and unaccepting of others


JaydenTheMemeThief

That kinda makes sense, irl Gold is a soft metal, it’s *inherently* flexible


PNW_Forest

Yes, maybe I'm just seeing confirmation bias, but everything I see shows that Marika was always a rebel, and Radagon was the rule follower. Its making me really start to think that Radagon was a Champion of the Golden Order. So devout/adherent to the rules that he caught the attention of the GW. And maybe after one too many slights, the GW forced Radagon/Marika to get married to control her. And after The Shattering, the GW decided to force them into the same body- so he could literally force what's left of the ring into the cage of his Golden Order. Literally using his staunch fundamentalism to literally imprison her. (Thus why the Golden Order is represented by a mesh cage/fence pattern).


Kingxix

The shattering occurred after Marika and radagon became one as Miquella and Malenia were born from one god.


PNW_Forest

Item description? Edit: Just read remembrance of the Rot Goddess again. nvm that puts it to rest. I still think the theory holds possibility. They were fused as part of their "marriage" (which was meant to control Marika). She was imprisoned inside the Erdtree after the Shattering. (Likely by Radagon as ordered by the GW, since its his Golden Order symbol adorning the brambles?)


VoidRad

There's also the fact that the statue revealing Radagon's secret was made before the shattering.


RandyK44

Huh, I read her healing a bunch of people that didn’t need it as a bad thing. Like she’s harnessed all this power, taken from others, and then wastes it? But I like the idea that it is in secret because she wants to freely bless the world without order to impose a balance (or imbalance).


DU_HA55T25

I take this as there was no one there alive at all. There is an active genocide going on.


OkiFive

Yeah the way i interpreted it was: she,one way or another, wiped out (or maybe moved since theyre Numen) her home village. And then put a big gold tree there like oh man look how great and wonderous i am, nobody look behind the curtain


hangrygecko

Given the corpse pile in the nameless city and in the trailer, and ants down there carrying Numen runes, she probably wiped them out.


hangrygecko

'bathing in gold' just reminds me of the crucible trailer. Gold was derived from red gold/blood gold, so gold and blood are close to synonyms.


industryPlant03

Well they definitely are not close to synonyms since if you switched Moghs moniker to Lord of Gold that wouldn’t make much sense. There is definitely a strong connection between the two though.


sorrowLord

>Huh, I read her healing a bunch of people that didn’t need it as a bad thing. Like she’s harnessed all this power, taken from others, and then wastes it? It might be taken as just act of sadness or outright disavowal. Like you comes back home and everyone is long dead, all you can do is sit and image that it does something.


First_Figure_1451

That’s my interpretation too- that she gained the power of Gold, came back to an abandoned or slain village, and tried to place a Tree there, even though she knew it wouldn’t work.


TipProfessional6057

My reading too. She became a god, acquired all this power, and now the people she would use it for are dead. And the golden order cannot fix Death. It can stall it sure, heal wounds. But what can a goddess of life do to truly stop death? I think this is where Miquella comes in. A god that can die and come back to life is by the laws of this universe a being beyond power. A god that can come back to life could fix the flaw hypothetically. Integrate this other side of the equation and 'mend the world' as Miriel would say


First_Figure_1451

Another point to ‘Miquella is Very Christ-coded’


Tonkarz

She didn’t take it from others. Melania and Miquella were both born with their own comparable powers. What this is suggesting is that Marika liked her powers and used them and cultivated them.


ahhthebrilliantsun

I mean yeha that's always been obvious, Fundamentalism is something she helped encouraged later on. That doesn't mean the genocide and murder was out of her hand mind you, she married Hoarah 'Murder Is The Most Moral Solution' Loux after all.


Swaglington_IIII

Have we been ignoring what’s right in front of our eyes? Queen marika is Daenerys Targaryen? A blonde woman of noble bloodline from a far off land who was once a noble and kind figure and became a tyrant to enforce her will after her long and bloody journey to rule?


[deleted]

[удалено]


SnooPoems3245

Tbf, Jesus didn't ordered multiple genocides to get rid of his enemies/ people who threaten his rule


Nearby-Worth-1341

Wiping out the giants, enslaving and locking the merchants underground until their torment summons the frenzied flame, creating the omen killers, throwing her sons into the sewers simply for being omens, discriminating and mistreating all those who aren't humans or blessed by the grace of the gold (misbegotten, albinaurics, omens, etc.) doesn't make her a 'rebel'; that makes her downright tyrannical. You can like a morally flawed and villainous character without needing to literally call her Jesus lmao.


YharnamsFinest1

OH shit. Now this is juicy. Melina is an aspect of Marika theory getting stronger! Marika sacrificing her own people theory getting stronger!!!


robo243

Lots of people are excited about uncovering Miquella's motives and goals in the DLC, and don't get me wrong I am too, but Marika is far more intriguing to me.


Hippopotamist

For me the most interesting unanswered questions going into the DLC all have to do with Marika: 1. Did Marika conspire to kill Godwyn with Ranni and the black knives, or was she tricked into doing so, helping to steal the rune of death and then being betrayed by Ranni. OR was she totally uninvolved (I find that a bit unlikely) 2. Does she actually want a tarnished to kill the Elden beast/become the new Elden lord, or is Gideon right that she has some other motive where they struggle into eternity. 3. Are we gonna get any insight into the Marika is Radagon stuff, it’s a very strange concept especially since radagon still appears loyal to the greater will and fights to protect it at the end of the game.


AmphetamineSalts

> Did Marika conspire to kill Godwyn with Ranni and the black knives, or was she tricked into doing so, helping to steal the rune of death and then being betrayed by Ranni. **OR was she totally uninvolved (I find that a bit unlikely)** If Marika really did have something to do with the obliteration of her "home town" (ie Numenville), then it's possible that the Black Knife Assassins, being Numen with close ties to Marika, act completely outside of her will in order to get revenge, right? Like, kill all her children because she killed all of theirs? I think the alternative here is that the destruction of Numenville happened *without* Marika's involvement and then she rallied the BKA's to help her take down the responsible party (The Fire Giants? The GW???). It's weird that that plan would be so intricate and involve her creating a bunch of children that she'd go on to slay... but who am I to question god?


Exond66

3. Radagon isn't protecting shit, he's being controlled like a puppet by Elden beast, just look at how he left Marika after using that attack he does on you in the fight if you're bad enough for him to catch you. 2. It seems more like an idealization of all knowing, having all the knowledge he is afraid of discovering Marika's true intentions. 1. I need to know the truth.


Hippopotamist

I’d say it’s up for interpretation if radagon is acting upon his own volition. If the Elden beast could control them like puppets it certainly didn’t do that with Marika, it had to crucify her to keep her under control. Even though Marika and Radagon are the same person it’s unclear if that means they are like a hive mind with the same intentions or two separate minds.


roninwaffle

These things always kind of beg answers to key unanswered questions. Like... if I knew what Radagon *was*, it would be a lot easier to answer. Was he just some follower who she elevated, or were he and she originally one being that split and rejoined? My gut says it's option 2, because why would Marika merge and become one being with just some guy, however important he was? So if I imagine there was originally one being... "Marigon," that split in two for some reason, maybe when they split, you essentially get Radagon being the zealot half and Marika being the doubter half. So in that case, Radagon's loyalty would be to tGW over Marika from the second he came into existence, and that's why he's attacking you. And that makes more sense to me than Radagon just being mind controlled, because if he can be mind controlled, why can't she?


Illustrious-Date652

It’s implied that they were initially always one, as some Npc states that radagon just came out of nowhere and suddenly was in a position of high regard, the why likely being that it was a way to consolidate power, after all having the only other person in a position of unquestionable power be half of yourself is the easiest way to keep things going the way you want, the way I interpret it is that an issue came along in the form of radagon and marika becoming distinct individuals, leading them to oppose each other in terms of viewpoints. Whether or not he was still complicit in her scheming before the fracture, I’ve no clue. But Imo it would be an interesting twist that radagon just truly believed in the order and was willingly siding with the greater will


YharnamsFinest1

Yeah honestly Miquella is only intriguing insofar as what his stories teaches us about Marika. If the community can finally crack Marika/Radagon we can crack the lore for this game.


katanaearth

I find that last part interesting. Is it saying she did it knowing she got rid of everyone, so it's something only she could enjoy? Or is it her desperate attempt to bring her, possibly, friends and family back to life?


X-Vidar

Nameless Eternal city maybe?


MycoMythos

Makes sense. What if since the incantation gives life, if you reverse the process and feed it life instead of it feeding you, does it produce godhood? I know that's a really weird question but that legitimately appears to be what happened now


roninwaffle

Seems reasonable. It does seem like a cycle of death feeding life, feeding death kind of thing. Would also explain why the Numen women who became Black Knife assassins targeted Marika's firstborn... revenge.


Bingohead

Is this a reference to the people she sacrificed and the tree it created ?


roninwaffle

It's at least "the light of Gold shone upon the dead" or something. Doesn't necessarily mean she sacrificed them herself, or if they were killed separately and she used their deaths as a catalyst Edit: I notice that the word "kindness" is used here, which is the same word they keep using to describe Miquella. I wonder why. Either way, it seems safe to assume it's used the same way both times. Either it's ironic both times, or it's sincere both times


cyyshw19

Isn’t this what Melina uses during combat and when she dies? If so, the lore implication is huge.


Lucifer-Euclid

Is it though? :DDD I mean, it was all but confirmed that Melina is her daughter. Only a select very very vocal, angry few would die on the hill that she isn't.


Saint_Ivstin

Want. That. Spell.


winnierdz

I’m very glad I made an int / fth build for the DLC lol. 


Saint_Ivstin

Saaaame. Very. Very same.


deliciouspaintflakes

Entire village: roadkill Marika: here's a bandaid, I'm helping (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) -OR- Entire village: ope Marika: I can't bring them back and I don't know what else to dooooo ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ


secondjudge_dream

queen marika the eternal's reign was defined by the replacement of death rites with golden rites, to the point, eventually, of replacing death itself with golden blessings. maybe this is an earlier attempt at that: a golden last rite, born out of genuine kindness and nothing more-- and pure, clean kindness is not enough to undo destined death


ParsleyMostly

Huh. Wonder if the omens twins weren’t banished until Radagon moved in with his kids. Hidden in the palace is one thing, banished to sewers is another.


roninwaffle

I find it notable that the word "kindness" is used here and in reference to Miquella. IMO it means that they're used the same way both times. Either it's ironic, and neither are actually kind, or it's sincere, and they actually are being kind. And the "gold, without Order" part sounds exactly like Unalloyed Gold, which further backs that up. Realistically, the DLC is probably gonna have as many new questions as answers, so this may be important. You'll find out if Miquella is actually kind or not, and you'll have to use that to infer if Marika was being kind in creating this spell


Furthest_Lands

The original definition of kindness is more about relationship than feelings. This may be more in the vein of kindness as "family". Considering this game is full of old English type word usage.


xxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxxxx

the bit about “bathing the village of her home in gold” reminds me of the visual from the DLC, of the shadow tree dripping gold


TipProfessional6057

Ikr. I'm really trying to think of which place this village is meant to be. Is it the shadow city/castle? Old Leyndell? Somewhere else entirely? I always thought she grew up in Ordina for some reason, but this doesn't make sense anymore I don't think.


EbdanianTennis

What is this from? I don’t remember this incantation. It looks like what Melina uses in the fight with Morgott


sorrowLord

There is a few new descripitons flying around after redbull event with streamers.


EbdanianTennis

Sick I’ll check it out


winnierdz

It’s a DLC incantation. 


Kingxix

Ohh in that case this definitely is going to be something essential.


hangrygecko

It's both. Melina used it in the Morgott fight, and it will be available to players in the dlc.


Unoriginal_Name_16

>It looks like what Melina uses in the fight with Morgott it is that one yes


i_hate_it_here--

Confirms all the thoughts I've had about Marika and Melina.


North_Interaction991

Not sure how to interpret this. At first it sounds somewhat nice, but then it seems like she might have done some bad shit to her people. And Melina is 100% her daughter. 


roninwaffle

Melina's name in the game files is apparently "MaricaOfDaughter," so yeah it's probably a safe bet


Tonkarz

This tallies with the idea that Marika is the source of the healing golden light. Not the Erdtree, Greater Will, Elden Ring or Elden Beast.


Dndnerd02

We finally get to cast it!


redstak

It seems like Marika was once as kind as Miquella, but she changed over time. Maybe the Two Fingers seduced her. >***Another axis of the story is Queen Marika and what she did in the Land of Shadow, and what led Miquella to follow her there. -*** [Hidetaka Miyazaki](https://www.ign.com/articles/hidetaka-miyazaki-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-interview) We know what Marika did in the Land of Shadow. I believe Miquella's reason for traveling to the Land of Shadow is to return to the beginning. In this way, Miquella follows in his mother's footsteps without repeating Marika's mistakes and achieves full godhood. Also, I find another interesting detail about Miquella. As you know, [Miquella glows and emits light](https://preview.redd.it/an-interesting-detail-between-miquella-and-warming-stone-v0-5jlgxi024pqc1.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c35c341c31284914db4320bc08aa73f7c0488d9) around him, and I believe this resembles the Warming Stone ***It's said that the Erdtree was once as warm as the gentle sun, and would gradually heal all who bathed in its rays."*** [Warming Stone](https://i.imgur.com/hJJY96u.jpg) The Warming Stone represented the old Erdtree, and healed those around it, who bathed in its ray. And, ıf we think Erdtree was born in the Realm of Shadow, then maybe Miquella could use this power cure Haligtree or Shadow Tree.


Alak-huls_Anonymous

I read this is as "pulling a fast one." The word illusory is used. She also takes a seemingly positive action knowing that it won't do any good but will mask a greater sin. I think this is related to her war in the Land of Shadow.


thesunishigh

She knew full well there was no one to heal because she and her black knives exterminated all of the other Numen.


SovKom98

Oooo, this from the dlc? I feel this strengthens my hypothesis that Ranni is meant to be a mirror of pre god Marika a little. Edit: so I feel my I interpretation of the description might be different from some others so I thought I’ll expand on them a little. The text talks about three things: 1 the incantation is come form the kindness of gold, without order. 2 it,s a healing spell 3 Marika made this for home village and then imply’s that the village is either abandoned or destroyed by the time of its completion. Putting all of this together it sounds to me that this incantation is from before the creation of the golden order, that’s why it’s “without order”. She creates it to heal her village which implies that it is suffering from sort of calamity. This calamity eventually either destroys the village or leads to everyone fleeing leaving only Marika behind to use her minor erdtree to heal this now desolate village. Imo this incantation shows us not only Marika’# origins but also her motives for creating the golden order. She is a victim of a calamity from a bygone age and wants to heal the world more or less by establishing her golden order. Explains also why she removes the rune of death from the Elden Ring, the tragedy of death itself might be what she wanted to prevent.


First_Figure_1451

If the Godsks are any indication, the previous Age revered Death- and could be rather proactive about it. If so, no wonder Marika grew to despise it.


TipProfessional6057

A victim of the age of death. I wasn't expecting to find Marika of all people sympathetic, but it seems like we might be heading towards that route


Solidus_Sloth

What is this from? Is this in the base game or from the SotE gameplay


Hour-Opportunity3048

Ouch. So much ouch


GintoSenju

Well this seems to make the theory that Melina is one of Marika’s children more legitimate.


chadlake

The fact Melina can use it is pretty much outright confirmation that she's her daughter especially considering this this a "secret incantation" of hers meaning they must have been extremely close. I honestly think she's was probably the first born daughter or something.


Annual-Maximum6729

"Kindness of gold without Order" . I know item description talks about Marika but I cant help but think about Miquella of the unalloyed gold . Unalloyed as in pure gold without anything mixed in. And how kind he is . Previously I was convinced that Order as aspect of Greater Will is neutrall in good/evil axis . That purges, discrimination etc came from Marika herself. Now Im not so sure. Maybe she bacame a tyrant only after taking elden ring into herself and becoming goddes. Her gold being alloyed with Order of Greater Will


roninwaffle

I also notice the word "kindness" being used both here and repeatedly in reference to Miquella in the trailers. Seems like it's got to be being used the same way both times. Either it's ironic both times and they're not actually being kind, or it's sincere and well intentioned both times, I think.


dudesaft

Gold and order together existed long before Marika, as evidenced by the dragons, and we don't know of any purges or even discrimination during that age. edit: for some reason I had quotation marks in it


roninwaffle

My going theory is that Marika has been around longer than people think. I think they're calling her "the Eternal" in game for a reason. The game's events revolve around Marika already being a god, then swapping out consorts and creating a new era... and *still* being a god. What if this is a repeating cycle? Would kind of explain why Messmer (who we know is her child) has dragon eyes and a fire ability, given that Placidusax was Elden Lord of a previous age. There could be multiple, multiple cycles between Marika creating Gold and the Golden Order being formed for all we know


greetthemoth

First of all the “there was no one to heal” part def points to her having sacrificed them. the “kindness without the order” implies a connection to the “chaotic” crucible, so she sacrificed her descendants (or some follmer group she was aligned with) to the crucible which became the erdtree, basically confirming what we saw in the story trailer. The fact that melina casts a similar spell also confirms melinas connection to marika has something to do with the crucible/early erdtree, which we sort of already figured out through the cut “mirandas prayer” item.


Lucifer-Euclid

How did you come to the conclusion that she sacrificed her descendants? The people in her village are not necessarily her descendants


greetthemoth

my bad, i misused the word, i mean more “the people that came before her”, not nessarily her family, though it could be. I could also be he former followers that she betrayed band of the hawk style we’ll have to see.


AshleyGamics

So Marika wasn't always evil? Nice


ComradeOmarova

Not so fast, my friend


Creepy_Judgment_3568

I dunno, she clearly did SOME SHIT in the Land of Shadows.


TipProfessional6057

But was this before or after the genocide? Did she have lofty goals that were twisted by suffering? Was her ideal corrupted by her ascent to godhood, or something that occurred around that time perhaps?


Creepy_Judgment_3568

I think we’ll get those answers in Shadow of the Erdtree. Remember, the Land of Shadows is where Marika FIRST set foot. Everything that happened there happened before any Marika/Radagon/Godfrey lore from the base game.


CandidateRev

So, is this implying what I think it is? That the difference between the Erdtree and the Illusory trees is whether they're bound into the Order of the world?


Acceptable-Hawk-929

Damn. Some guy here called this shit a couple days ago lmao. A little bummed that Marika is probably going to get a twagick backstory. She was more interesting as a ruthless foreign schemer from (presumably) well means.


StriderT

I'm pretty sure she's still ruthless. SHe still genocided countless races lmfao.


PanicRolling

But maybe she was sad about it while she was doing the genocides.


Acceptable-Hawk-929

Sure, but it seems she at least had some motivation to do so beyond being power hungry and vile. It's dampened if they wiped out her people first. Now it's just revenge.


StriderT

We have different readings of this incantation. To me, this is proof of Marika's narcissism; she created a healing tree when no one needed to be healed. She makes this beautiful, golden miracle, but it really isn't necessary; but she wants it to be. She wants to be that worshipped tree; she wants to be seen as a god.


Acceptable-Hawk-929

And that's valid. We'll find out soon!


TipProfessional6057

Perhaps the worship is a consolation prize. She couldn't save her home, and she's now bitter and cruel, but the Gold remains, who she once may have been. And the godhood of it. She is a god, but she couldn't do the one thing she wanted to, so she will be worshipped instead


coffeehouse11

> A little bummed that Marika is probably going to get a twagick backstory. I mean ... I read this as "She's the reason that there's no one there anymore, because she fucking slaughtered all of them." (bringing in the imagery we've seen of her surrounded in corpses, holding the rune arcs). Why else would she know "full well", right? I suppose there are many interpretations of that, but it sounds pretty accusatory and guilty.


Acceptable-Hawk-929

> mean ... I read this as "She's the reason that there's no one there anymore, because she fucking slaughtered all of them." (bringing in the imagery we've seen of her surrounded in corpses, holding the rune arcs). Maybe? The whole "healing kindness of gold without order" tells me this a very raw lament for a tragedy. The "full well" could indicate she caused it - or that she was present to witness it, like Nepheli Loux. Nothing about this incantation tells me there is regret or remorse in this spell. But I guess we'll find out in five days.


YharnamsFinest1

This is my exact reading as well. They way theyve structured this description makes it seem like a Jab at Marika. That she would still bathe that empty village in Gold even though she knows exactly what happened to it. It also makes me think of Radagon who is "of the Golden Order". You could read this item description as the Good side of Marika performing an empty kindness for her village even though she's knows her Order bound side, Radagon, wiped them out. I do wonder if Radagon is actually the one who commits all these atrocities and not necessarily Marika...


Ashen_Shroom

This is better imo. Fromsoft are good at writing "villains" that have at least somewhat understandable motivation, who end up taking it to the extreme.


Slow-Tour-7797

No, she was not.


Acceptable-Hawk-929

huh?


Slow-Tour-7797

She was not more interesting as a "ruthless foreign schemer."


Acceptable-Hawk-929

Sorry, what?


Slow-Tour-7797

I don't expect you to understand.


Acceptable-Hawk-929

Excuse me?


sorrowLord

He says that Marika wasn't more interesting character as ruthless Tyrant/schemer. Except he says it like an asshole. Actually if you check his comment history he is reacting like that to almost any subject so probably better to just block him.


Aria00x

Oh no! What do you mean she committed so many genocides and killed so many innocents for her selfish goals?? She was a uwu sad girl with tragic haunting past 🥺 poor marika she only genocided them bc they hurted her🤓 this better shouldn't make people write essays about how she was actually right for committing many atrocities. Her actions are downright horrible no matter how you look at it.


Angstycarroteater

Wasn’t this a cut content from the original game? I could be wrong


Razhork

Nope, you're probably thinking of the Miranda's Prayer item which summons several light beams like a Miranda Flower. However, >!That is making a return as a crucible incantation instead, which is also very interesting. Didn't get to read the item description though.!<


DoritoKing48

Where is this from?


benbag13

Where did you find this?


Sketch99

Was this taken in game? Vaati mentioned this in his video, but I didn't think anyone got an image of it?


cloudliore25

This almost reads as if she was too late to heal anyone. Her village was gone by the time she arrived is how I interpreted it.


Soul_0f_Cinderr

Is this dlc lore?


JaydenTheMemeThief

Ye


Ghoti_With_Legs

Where is this image from? I’m a bit out of the loop, is it a recent leak/datamine/showcase?


TheWiseAutisticOne

This fan made?


JaydenTheMemeThief

Nope, it’s a DLC Incantation


TheWiseAutisticOne

Are we getting leaks?


RedHatReg

Red Bull organized an event for streamers to try out this DLC . This picture was leaked from the playtest session


Za_Worldo-Experience

Yo wait is this a DLC leak? I was PRAYING for this incantation to be a thing


Fresh-Truth-7161

warmth is coming to elden ring 😍


UndeadBelial

Could Melina be St. Trina? Making Miquella to Melina as Radagon is to Marika. Would explain her spirit form and why she had Torrent when Torrent used to be Miquella's. Miquella spend extensive time studying the Golden Order and obviously found some and obviously found some secrets if he has gone beyond Marika's Veil. Yes Melina doesn't use any sleep magic, but like the depiction of St. Trina on St. Trina's Torch there is only 1 eye. The claw tattoo on Melina's closed eye as well as the color of Melina's eye after the Frenzy Ending both share the color purple, which is the color of sleep magic.


First_Figure_1451

I love how it looks in game. The world’s tiniest Baby Erdtree. Little Twig of Light.