Another thing to mention is that Melina might be the Gloam-Eyed Queen who Maliketh defeated long ago, which also explains the Beast Eye and the color of her left eye in the Frenzied Flame ending. Maybe Marika's "betrayal" of Maliketh was in his defeat of the Gloam-Eyed Queen and subsequent sealing of Destined Death. According to the Black Flame ritual item description, the Gloam Eyed Queen was an Empyrean with her own Two Fingers, and who led the Godskin apostles with their Black Flames that could kill gods. We know that Marika separated the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring to stop death from existing in the Lands Between, and we know that the Gloam-Eyed Queen was defeated by Maliketh long ago. Maybe that resulted in Marika's betrayal? It seems like Maliketh suffers immensely from having the Rune of Death sealed inside him, as he is consumed by his hunger for Deathroot. Maybe he was tricked into sealing Destined Death inside himself after defeating the Gloam-Eyed Queen without knowing what it would do to his body and psyche. Not to mention it resulted in him being kept in isolation away from the Lands Between in Faram Azula. Also, is Maliketh a Numen like Marika, considering he's her half-brother? Or is it that Maliketh was created by the Two Fingers just like Blaidd was created specifically for Ranni? Blaidd was also raised as a brother to Ranni alongside Iji, so maybe it was the same for Maliketh? Might have to check the original Japanese item descriptions to see if he was truly a half-brother or adopted brother Definitely do a lore video on Ranni, Melina, and Miquella, as these three Empyreans are the most mysterious characters in Elden Ring and who have a ton of DLC potential (Miquella has so much cut content about him too such as NPC questlines, his reveal that he is St. Trina, his Great Rune and weapon, and his power over dreams and growth). And of course everyone is speculating that Melina is Ranni or that she is the Gloam-Eyed Queen
I am not worthy to anything further! Absolutely incredible explanation, thank you for this :) I will definitely be covering Melina and Ranni. In case you were interested, I have explored some of Miquella's story i my Melania video !
This is crazy still trying to piece the story together, so Maliketh is referred to as Marika's shadow in the Black Blade Rememberance, and War Counselor Iji calls Blaidd Ranni's shadow, given to her by the two fingers, after you discover Blaidd is locked in the Evergoal. I'm skeptical about this but could it be that Melina's mother is the erdtree and she was supplanted by Marika? We find the cursemark of death on Ranni's body and Godwyn's which I believe suggests they are the same person, when Ranni sent the assassins to kill Godwyn she knew her body would die as well thus she prepared a doll. I also think the Beast Eye is from Ranni, the claw marks on it and the scar on her missing eye could be resulted from an attack from Maliketh when she stole the rune of death. Also there is a similarity in Melina and Fia, that both their wishes are to return or restore death, possibly why Melina has the mark on her eye?
I'm postulating that Farum Azula somehow lies outside of time and space - that would explain how you're able to reverse time while there to fight Placiduzax. Because Farum Azula is outside time and space, it is molded to fit the narrative of your possible actions from your own perspective, which is why Gurranq will recognize the tarnished if they complete the questline. I must say I wasnt convinced maliketh was gurranq at first because I havent completed his questline myself yet, but I am now. I believe what they mean when they say "shadow" it is meant literally, symbolically and figurtively - he is her better half, not to be confused with her alter ego Radagon, in the sense that Maliketh embodies Marikas opposites. Being born a god, her complete nature and perfect being (which is a biblical reference to adam the first man, who also was born "perfect" - I.E as both male and female. That is the esoteric meaning of "perfect") contradicts that of reality, so a "shadow" is necessary in order to preserve balance. Natural beastiality, chaos, degredation and death is woven into his being - Marika recognized that in him and sealed him away outside time and space together with the rune of death because of her delusions with the greater wills abandonment of her children Miquella and Melania. Which again, I believe - is a central theme of the game, that of births, life and death. It's a huge problem in japan and china right now, as a result of their politics - so I suppose it would make sense that its reflected in the game aswell.. Nigeria is predicted to have a higher population than china by the end of this century...
Pretty sure Malikath is a shadow like Blaidd. Iji said Blaidd is Rannis step brother so not so far off they call Malikath Merikas half brother because he's her shadow
FINALLY SOMEONE MADE ONE ABOUT THE GOOD BOY! Seriously though I absolutely love this character, he has that same big fight feel as Ludwig where when he finally reveals his true self you feel the weight of fighting a REAL hero, a REAL legend.
"Witless Tarnished... Why covet Destined Death? To kill what?" The first time I heard it, I truly believed that Maliketh was a good guy and still do The intonation of his voice actually made me feel guilty
I just muttered a response under my breath automatically: "...a God", when he said that. Didnt saw him as a good guy and felt guilty honestly, i knew he suffered much and had good intentions but he was on a road preventing things to move on and erasing all that went before. I saw him as someone in on all the wrong things occuring even if he had good intentions in his viewpoint.
For me the guilt came before the fight, after giving him all of the Deathroot. I wanted to turn around and leave the arena, or maybe try to talk to Maliketh.
I think qurranq and maliketh being the same being is pretty set in stone. It’s seems obvious, to me at least with how he recognizes us when we first meet him as maliketh if we’ve given him all 9 death root.
Blaidd is Ranni's Half-Brother. All Shadows are treated as such with their Empyrean. The timeline with Maliketh is all messed up. He's Gurranq in the present, but he's unveils himself as Maliketh in Farum Azula, which is said to be in the past. And then there's the whole timeline of Marika betraying him and Ranni stealing the Rune of Death. But also, Maliketh killed the Gloam-Eyed Queen sometime in the past, but Melina is the Gloam-Eyed Queen, and she's the one who gets us to Farum Azula even though she's physically dead in the present, but unlike Ranni, she doesn't have a secondary body to enter. And then the extra confusing thing are the Godskins who are guarding the approach to Maliketh. They were put there by the Gloam-Eyed Queen, but when and why? If Melina sends us to Farum Azula, are the Godskins there meant to stop us or someone else? For those still unconvinced Melina is the Gloam-Eyed Queen: She's clearly Marika's daughter in the same way Malenia and Miquella are, and the Gloam-Eyed Queen was said to be Marika's Empyrean daughter, who Marika had killed by Maliketh using the Black Flame. And Melina clearly says she died by fire, and you can also see burn marks on her hands. And lets not forget her eye, which is literally a "GLOAM" eye. Melina was killed because Marika had planned to betray the Two Fingers for some time, and Melina clearly still serves them, and did before she was killed, and she was the one with the highest priority to become the next Vessel for the Elden Ring. So Marika ordered Maliketh to kill Melina, because he was the only one who had the power to kill a God/Demigod. And one that was done, she betrayed him and locked him away to guard Destined Death forever, so her precious Godwyn, her favorite son, wouldn't ever die for her transgression. Yet, Ranni had other plans and that's how the game starts. So Godwyn isn't the first Demigod to die. He's the first to officially die. Because Melina/Gloam-Eyed Queen's death was hidden. Heck, no one knew she existed other than a few select characters. Sadly just like Blaidd, Maliketh is just a tool for his step-sister. Unlike Blaidd, his step-sister chose to deceive him and betray him.
while I agree she is her daughter, It’s not directly stated Melina is the Gloam Eyed Queen. An incarnation? A parallel? Perhaps but it’s not a fact. Also the Gloam Eyed Queen was said to be AN empyrean possibly even a rival empyrean who competed with Marika. Also I think it’s quite obvious that the godskins before the Maliketh boss fight were there looking for him. He does have the rune of their Queen after all.
this is my favorite lore channel ever such a lucky find like ur just so calming, its like im being read a nice bedtime story, i appreciate ur energy so much
Honestly, such a tragic character. He is my favorite, as his role in the story is such a tragic one. His entire existence to Marika was to be her shadow, but was turned into a vessel for Marika's schemes. He harbored destined death within his body and by consuming deathroot, he returns death to his rightful place, effectively "cleaning up" his mess. I believe Crumbling Farum Azula is perhaps a pocket dimension akin to a Prison. The Dragonlord boss was the lord of the lands between before the existence of the Greater Will. There was also a war between the dragons and Marika/The Greater Will. Perhaps upon defeat they were imprisoned?
I like this explanation for Placidusax because it also provides an origin for the battle damage he has when we face him. It's clear he's meant to be a 5 headed hydra-like monster but is down to two-heads when we face him. I'd say that based on how the entire area "rewinds" in the cut scene leading up to battling him, that he made Crumbling Farum Azula as the place he could go to survive Marika's Golden Order without her feeling the need to exterminate him entirely, i.e. a pocket dimension out of the way of the Lands Between. There are many other dragons in this dimension too, so it could be where Marika allowed them to remain in their defeated state and knowing it was a useful prison, it's where Maliketh spends his days to atone for allowing Ranni to get the jump on him.
@@dlira6242 agreed! I'm glad someone found my thought process to be agreeable. Since I last posted ive come up with my own idea for the lore behind the narrative and honestly, this game is crazy good haha
@@dlira6242DLC spoilers ahead: we know that dragonlord placidusax or w/e u spell it fought against Bayle the Dread as when you fight Bayle you can literally see 2 of the heads of placidusax on Bayle body.
Maliketh is my favorite boss, love a boss that tricks u and is secretly a bonafide badass with an awesome moveset. Dude reminds me of Ludwig cuz of that.
Awesome video! I’m pretty sure Malekith and Blaidd are of the same species/race. Blaidd is referred to as being like Ranni’s brother, and empyreans are given the wolf/guardians by the two fingers. I think we even see a statue of a girl with wolves in Malekith’s arena. It would also explain the mention of betrayal and at least part of his madness since both Ranni and Marika betray the two fingers.
They're the shadow beast. Anyone that might become God of the great will gets a shadow beast. The shadow beast served their God but also seem to be under control by the two fingers as seen in blaidds storyline but yeah beast clergymen serve as the Gods shadow
I can't believe that I read the Gargoyles weapon description that mentioned Maliketh but had no idea who that was at the time and totally forgot about it by the time I got to Maliketh! Now I definitely had my suspicions about the Beast Clergyman being Maliketh but was confused why the Clergyman was still alive after I killed Maliketh (I was at 8 death roots), but it blows my mind that I missed/ forgot so much that practically confirmed the theory! Awesome video!
@@Knight_sa The Gargoyles black blade discription is: Broze greatsword wielded by Valiant Gargoyle mended with blackened corpse wax. Deals holy damage. Such is the mark of those who serve Maliketh, the Black Blade.
Just found out about this channel, I find your style of explaining/narrating ER lore very simple and easy to follow! I appreciate that you only introduced Gurranq after explaining everything else, as other lore videos introduce gurranq right away which causes a lot of back and forth on important details
Really interesting video! (And presented in such a chill, relaxing manner too lol, I'll definitely have to check out some of the others in your series on this) The Beast Eye thing in particular is a detail I've never seem discussed before Personally, I've always read Farum Azula as still existing in the same time/dimension as the rest of the Lands Between, just with some strange properties to how time and gravity and stuff work there, but it definitely could be somehow outside of time and space completely. Either way, I blame it on leftover magical properties from when the dragons ruled and the temple hovered in the skies above the mainland, combined with... whatever event caused it to become "crumbled" in the first place and spill ruin fragments all across the continent (One theory I like for this is that it was destroyed by the Elden Beast, either when it first crashed into the Lands Between from the stars, since this wouldn't be the only time the Greater Will would use this tactic, OR!! More interestingly! When the Elden Beast transformed into the Elden Ring, if perhaps Farum Azula was the "crucible" where the beast made its transformation into a new, more Ordered form Isn't it weird how much the Elden Beast looks like a dragon, and Placidusax with his wings furled looks like one of the Two Fingers?? I've always wondered if there was some kind of connection, like the Greater Will looked down and saw dragons as the dominant species, and crafted servants for itself that looked like them so that they would be more likely to worship it. Only in the end, the Greater Will didnt like how chaotic the dragons were, so it betrayed them and destroyed their flying temple and set Marika up as its new favorite, hoping she and humanity would be easier to control) As for Maliketh, I suspect Gurranq may be more like a persona he puts on whenever he briefly leaves Farum Azula, so that no one recognizes him and realizes the Rune of Death is not as protected as it usually is. And these trips outside of the temple may be part of a punishment for allowing Ranni's theft, and by extension Godwyn's death. The deathroot were a direct result of this event, so he has been put on a mission by Marika to cleanse the land of them, and maybe the undead they are clearly tied to as a result, all to absolve himself of his "sin." But when he finally eats the last one and fundamentally nothing changes, he realizes the futility of his mission. He can never undo what happened or gain Marika's forgiveness
What i thank most about this video is the sweet tone of voice it is made with. Not only did I get to answer some questions about sweet Maliketh, I also got soothed by her beautiful voice. Thank you so much Miss Chalice...
You do such a good work on those videos, waiting to see more of that work and see you grow bigger as I really think you do the best lore content for elden ring. Btw, nice voice and pronunciation, I am from Spain and it is super easy to understand You. Have a nice day 😀
OMG! I'm so glad I came across your video of this, the game makes so much more sense now lol. It takes so long between story progression parts in the game (just due to how long it takes to play) that its hard to remember and tie everything together. You did such a great job of explaining this all in depth, so thank you!
Good video, my theory initially was that he's literally eating the death root just to get rid of it, because if it's left out in the world or thrown away anywhere it'll just keep growing, so probaby still a task or puishment given to him by marika (like you said) or like self inflicted to try and make up for letting ranni steal the rune of death
Got the Sellen video recommend to me and I just binged all your videos. Your channel is getting recommend a lot so keep putting the videos out seems like lots of people are enjoying them!
I totally look forward to your videos! You are incredibly knowledgeable, on this subject matter, and you are completely lovely to look at, as well as to hear!
Perhaps either possessing or being of the Rune of Death causes one's eye to turn purple, that would explain why the Goddess of Death was called the Gloam-eyed Queen. And possessors of the Rune of Death were Maliketh and Ranni. I believe the "Beast-Eye" is literally Maliketh's eye, that he cut out when he bound the rune of death on his hand (in a seal as it looks like) and turned into the Beast Clergyman. And I think Ranni was the one that created Melina with the Rune of Death or Melina is possibly a part of her soul or even just her (Ranni). Because we never learn what Ranni really looked like in truth, the puppet we see of her is apparently in the image of her mentor, the witch Renna. We can only see her burned body on top of the divine tower, there we can somewhat make out that she had red hair, like her father Radagon. This further makes sense when we consider that Melina herself says that her body was burnt (because she is Ranni or part of her) and why she is so adamantly against the Frenzied Flame. The Frenzied Flame wants chaos and to burn everything, contrary to the Age of Stars that Ranni strives to create, which is represented by the chill/cold moon/night. One more thing regarding Maliketh and Farum Azula. I think it is a place were time essentially stands still, which is why Placidusax and Maliketh are banished to there. The only thing that Maliketh left behind in the real world is his own self without the Rune of Death, even trying desperately to remove the remaining relics of the Rune in the form of the Death Roots, so that there would not be anything of Death left in the Lands Between. This is further evident in the fact that Gurranq does not turn into Maliketh when we fight him in the real world AND he is significantly weaker than the Beast Clergyman we fight in Farum Azula, because this fragment of him in the Lands Between is not comparable to his true self. BUT when we feed him all Death Roots, he vanishes away because his true body was never there, he now returns to the rest of his true self in Farum Azula, which is WHY he recognises us ONLY if we give him all Death Roots and see his real world fragment return to his Farum Azula self. This would also explain why killing him in Farum Azula does not affect him directly, BUT when you return to him shortly after killing him there, he is outside looking in the direction of Farum Azula in great distress.
On top of loving elden ring content, your voice is just so amazing to calm down and get my work done while listening to your vids. Almost an ASMR effect, my ADD and anxiety can’t thank you enough
Very nice video, was looking forward to it. I think the only missing is his involvement with the godskins and their Queen but then again, they deserve their own video.
Awesome video! I believe that the beast clergyman in the lands between is the projection of Maliketh rather than him in the future. Similar to Sellen I think it explains how Maliketh knows who you are after giving beast clergyman the deathroots. And his form disintegrating is Maliketh stopping the projection
Truly the more lore gets uncovered the more I think that most of the Star Cast of the main story aren't very decent people with Marika being possibly the worst?
Bernahl and Vyke are neat characters to look into. Both probably the closest to becoming Elden Lord in the past, both turning down a different path after what happened to (or was bound to happen to) their Maidens. I kind of wish they were bigger deals combat-wise, given that they're our predecessors. Vargram the Raging Wolf is another NPC that doesn't get much fanfare. Which is odd considering the fact that he's the poster boy of Elden Ring.
0:45 it definetly is not meant figuratively, since family bonds are truly important concept through not only this one world, but through entirety of G.R.R. Martins work. When he states that there is a family bond its not just figure of speech but really important piece of information every time. Great video, this is just one thing I caught and thought that it should be said how important family is in all his work and that its not something he would use just as "better that good friends"
It also bugs me a lot, since I dont really believe in importance of family, as there have been people in my family tree that I despise and there are people that are not related to me but still I know that I can count on them anytime, dont even get me started on nuclear family, and that makes it really hard for me to understand some thoughts and ideas that are supposed to be reflected in this world, where you need to make a fair bit of stretching for every thing that you are trying to understand.
Also everything is really fluid in this world, there are not really many things that you can rely on, Marika is sometimes woman but sometimes a dude, you can kill Maliketh 2 times in same timeline, you can kill Morgot 2 times and so on, family seems to be only thing you can rely on while trying to make sense out of it.
Also after you finish beast clergymans quest, when you walk into the boss arena he has a different dialogue and remembers the tarshined and feels betrayed since you helped him and gave him death root
your voice is so sweet and cute. that coupled with the obvious passion and obsession for this content makes watching your videos addicting. you're fucking adorable and i want more of your content.
Since Faram Azula exists outside of time its also possible that its Maliketh from the future, and he has reassembled the rune of death (thus not wanting it stolen again) but for some reason it isnt working the way it used to after it was broken apart. Pandoras box was opened and cant be put back.
Just found your channel and am loving all the content so far! One thing I'm not convinced of though is Farum Azula existing in another dimension, so I'm not entirely certain I followed where you were going with that. It quite definitely exists in the same physical space as the rest of the Lands Between, for a few reasons: 1. You can see Farum Azula to the east from the divine tower you activate Malenia's rune at 2. You can see the mountaintops and other surroundings from Farum Azula 3. The fallen ruins scattered across the Lands Between (where you usually can collect ruin fragments or sanctuary stones) are all but certainly from Farum Azula, as the architecture is similar, and quite literally just got blown away from it by the tempest or something. Placidusax's arena is without a doubt in the past, made obvious by the ruins reconstructing themselves, and implied by the description of Miquella's Needle and the fact you must use it there. But I don't see any reason why the Farum Azula we fight Maliketh in has to exist outside the same dimension as the rest of the game?
I am pretty sure beast clergyman in the maliketh fight also has different dialog at the start of the fight, if you did his quest and gave him all the root. Re recognizes you , they are 100% the same person.
I didn't think it was in question that the beast clergyman and Maliketh were one and the same. Also my take on the Lands Between is it is a timeless place so not so weird that the floating mausoleum is also such. Surely a being like Maliketh would traverse it just as easily as we do.
Loved the video, happy to see some light being shed onto such a pivotal character One thing im surprised I havent seen mentioned more is that maliketh seems to be the same species/race as the beast stand of hoarah loux (Serosh I think its name was), and since the 2 members of this species are currently in the service of the previous elden lord and the current queen what does this mean, if anything? Are the beasts that these 2 are seperate from the other beast men, or are they not even a species, or maybe are they just an apex of the beastmen species? Just some fun thoughts I had in my plathrough that I havent seen mentioned by others yet
I asked around, as I write Maliketh, and everyone always strongly came out to tell me Maliketh is a wolf, the same as Blaidd. But I also found him to be somewhat leonine in appearance. However his full naked model make him out to be more like a wolfman bedded a stoat... Serosh is definitely a lion, and Maliketh seems more like some sort of hybrid. The lore is frustratingly vague, but I enjoy the idea that he's a "beast" and that the exact dna mix of your average beast is somewhat irrelevant.
Maliketh is half man-half wolf, it’s why he can still talk instead of just roaring like serosh, his not the same as Blaidd if I had to guess, I think maliketh is a wolf type from the numen land
@@skinless5136 or just a beastman, being a shadow doesn't make them a Wolf since nothing proves that. It is also stated that the beastial incantaions was used before the erdtree. Maliketh uses all of those incantaions
I always thought they were the same being. This might be inconsequential because of some kind of time distortion but one playthrough before giving all death root, I went to gurranq after I’d entered the maliketh boss arena, just to to see if he was still there, and he was. So if they are the same they must exist in a separate time. I always looked at him as being a vessel for death because he’d done something terribly wrong, “I’ll never forget, my appetite, my sin”
you miss are Over Powered! you have a beautiful and mesmerizing voice, you study and game like a god. I have no doubt that you are some kind of Empyrian!
Good video! I wonder if Farum Azula's weird relationship with time is necessary for how the Rune of Death works in the golden order. Perhaps Malikath needed to keep it there specifically and only use it there. While the player defeats Malikath and takes it from him, unlike other great runes, we never actually get to activate the Rune of Death at a Divine Tower. Lore-wise, maybe doing so would change the world in a game-breaking way.
You are really doing a great job of gathering and interprating all these information ! through your links and connections you provide the best lore vidéos i have Seen ! I am impatient to sée what you would tell us about Ranni, and if we il now a bit more about thé fenzied flame which IS the way of my first run 🤩
Great vid Miss C! I never finished the deathroot quest. After I killed Maliketh, I went back to see Gurranq, thinking they must have some kind of connection. I got no dialogue options there, but interesting to find out that he's probably the same dude. Gurranq is still there though, after you've beaten Maliketh, so perhaps that alternate dimension thing you mentioned explains it.
That's pretty rad. I think you're right on btw, the only part I'm a little unclear on is the details and timelines of how the Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Godskin apostles tie in.
From Maliketh's dialogue, my understanding is that his memories are coming back as he eats more deathroot. You have to bear in mind that if he's anything like Blaidd, and is under the influence of the Two Fingers as a shadowboundbeast, then he must have gone completely insane when Marika betrayed the order, the same way Blaidd eventually does, potentially trying to kill her. And then stayed that way for 1,000+ years. When you beat him after he attacks you as Gurranq, he says "I won't forget... again..." Which implies he'd "forgotten". I don't think it means it's a punishment. Just... the degradation over time. I think he's eating deathroot because the majority of the rune of death is inside of his body, and he might be experiencing a craving for the "rest of it", on top of him thinking his failure is a "sin" and that it's his duty to restore the rune. But he's not sane, and hopes to fix things by eating deathroot. He's also caught howling in despair, and if you kill him he asks Marika "Why gull me... why shatter..." Implying that he's come to realise that Marika blindsided him and used him, yet isn't aware of her reasons. The popular theory right now is that Marika was herself behind the assassination of her own child, and helped Ranni with her plot, maybe providing the Numen assassins. This is hinted by Melina telling you "Marika's own words" which seem to imply she exiled Godfrey and the Tarnished as part of a greater plot and that your presence now is all according to her plans. My theory is that Gurranq leaves the Sanctum to go to Farum Azula, because he's "done" with his only way of restoring the rune. It failed, "it's all he could do in this place" and now he just goes to the most remote and inaccessible area possible to better safeguard his part of the rune. I don't think there's any punishment involved, but there's definitely the side effects of Marika's betrayal, leaving him in the dark, and potentially the influence of the two fingers. Sorry for repeating a lot of the evidence point, it might sounds like I haven't bothered with your video-I have, it's very nice!-but I wanted my own train of thought to be as clear as possible! One last bit : you can kill Blaidd when you first meet him. He also "dissolves" and has a unique dialogue sort of mocking you. "You're strong of arm. But ask yourself, what harm can be done, to a shadow?" And he of course respawns. So I don't think you CAN kill Maliketh/Gurranq, in any concrete way, until Marika is dead. Then... who knows what happens to him? But I think it looks final because he looses the rune of death, but he most likely respawns (which would also explain why if you haven't given Gurranq all deathroots, he'll still be there at the Sanctum after you defeat Maliketh... That's fine, but the lack of unique dialogue/reactions is disappointing)
Is important to consider that Gurranq is a Vendor type NPC, and Elden Ring is video game, there are many examples of Bosses/NPCs that have a "True" Boss form, and yet, can still be fought in other locations, like the 2 Margits, and the Bell Bearing Hunter, even after defeating their "true" froms. I know this is From, and they used to put "Lore" first, before the player's comfort, but that changed between DS2 and DS3, where they added the option to interact with Dead NPCs, Revive them, or obtain an item that allows you to still buy their items after dead. Elden Ring continues this new development, with the Celestial Dew for example. At the end of the day, if Gurranq dies at the same time that Maliketh does, the average player will lose out on many Incantations, an Ash of War, a Weapon and an important upgrade Material. The same can be said of other examples like the Bell Bearing Hunter.
I always thought the 'I won't forget again' line was from him attacking you. He does so 3ish times and I just assumed he was reminding himself you were an ally or to control his beastial urges.
You are becoming one of my fav UA-camrs 😭😭💕. I love these videos so much, especially since the story can be confusing lol. But I was wondering could you do a video about Sellen in the future? She’s my fav NPC xD.
These lore videos are amazing just found the channel the way you explain things and lay out these videos is so great sort of reminds me of VaatiVidya. So interesting and relaxing to sit down and watch these keep up the good work and can't wait to see more :)
Gurrang/Maliketh was really important in the way i roleplayed my first playthrough, i made a strength/faith beast build, so Gurrang was a sort of mentor figure for my character making the fight with maliketh even more tragic. In my playthrough i used all the beast incantations and several weapons linked to Gurrang and the beasts, the Beastman Cleaver, the Gargoyles Black Blade, the Cinquidea, the Beastclaw Greathammer and eventually Malikeths Black Blade...
I quite like the idea that the eye is Melinas. I cant fully buy into it because she still has 2 eyes( opens both in an ending), and the beast eye is supposedly made of stone. The color definitely matches though, and its ability to sense deathroot ties in with destined deaths role to act as a sort of reaper.
fun fact , gurranq can be translated into golden arm and an incarnation of Krishna who is an avatar of the creator Vishnu so it could be maliketh giving himself a name to fit how he's feel .
Another thing to mention is that Melina might be the Gloam-Eyed Queen who Maliketh defeated long ago, which also explains the Beast Eye and the color of her left eye in the Frenzied Flame ending.
Maybe Marika's "betrayal" of Maliketh was in his defeat of the Gloam-Eyed Queen and subsequent sealing of Destined Death. According to the Black Flame ritual item description, the Gloam Eyed Queen was an Empyrean with her own Two Fingers, and who led the Godskin apostles with their Black Flames that could kill gods.
We know that Marika separated the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring to stop death from existing in the Lands Between, and we know that the Gloam-Eyed Queen was defeated by Maliketh long ago. Maybe that resulted in Marika's betrayal? It seems like Maliketh suffers immensely from having the Rune of Death sealed inside him, as he is consumed by his hunger for Deathroot. Maybe he was tricked into sealing Destined Death inside himself after defeating the Gloam-Eyed Queen without knowing what it would do to his body and psyche. Not to mention it resulted in him being kept in isolation away from the Lands Between in Faram Azula.
Also, is Maliketh a Numen like Marika, considering he's her half-brother? Or is it that Maliketh was created by the Two Fingers just like Blaidd was created specifically for Ranni? Blaidd was also raised as a brother to Ranni alongside Iji, so maybe it was the same for Maliketh? Might have to check the original Japanese item descriptions to see if he was truly a half-brother or adopted brother
Definitely do a lore video on Ranni, Melina, and Miquella, as these three Empyreans are the most mysterious characters in Elden Ring and who have a ton of DLC potential (Miquella has so much cut content about him too such as NPC questlines, his reveal that he is St. Trina, his Great Rune and weapon, and his power over dreams and growth). And of course everyone is speculating that Melina is Ranni or that she is the Gloam-Eyed Queen
I am not worthy to anything further! Absolutely incredible explanation, thank you for this :)
I will definitely be covering Melina and Ranni. In case you were interested, I have explored some of Miquella's story i my Melania video !
This is crazy still trying to piece the story together, so Maliketh is referred to as Marika's shadow in the Black Blade Rememberance, and War Counselor Iji calls Blaidd Ranni's shadow, given to her by the two fingers, after you discover Blaidd is locked in the Evergoal.
I'm skeptical about this but could it be that Melina's mother is the erdtree and she was supplanted by Marika? We find the cursemark of death on Ranni's body and Godwyn's which I believe suggests they are the same person, when Ranni sent the assassins to kill Godwyn she knew her body would die as well thus she prepared a doll. I also think the Beast Eye is from Ranni, the claw marks on it and the scar on her missing eye could be resulted from an attack from Maliketh when she stole the rune of death.
Also there is a similarity in Melina and Fia, that both their wishes are to return or restore death, possibly why Melina has the mark on her eye?
I'm postulating that Farum Azula somehow lies outside of time and space - that would explain how you're able to reverse time while there to fight Placiduzax.
Because Farum Azula is outside time and space, it is molded to fit the narrative of your possible actions from your own perspective, which is why Gurranq will recognize the tarnished if they complete the questline.
I must say I wasnt convinced maliketh was gurranq at first because I havent completed his questline myself yet, but I am now.
I believe what they mean when they say "shadow" it is meant literally, symbolically and figurtively - he is her better half, not to be confused with her alter ego Radagon, in the sense that Maliketh embodies Marikas opposites. Being born a god, her complete nature and perfect being (which is a biblical reference to adam the first man, who also was born "perfect" - I.E as both male and female. That is the esoteric meaning of "perfect") contradicts that of reality, so a "shadow" is necessary in order to preserve balance.
Natural beastiality, chaos, degredation and death is woven into his being - Marika recognized that in him and sealed him away outside time and space together with the rune of death because of her delusions with the greater wills abandonment of her children Miquella and Melania. Which again, I believe - is a central theme of the game, that of births, life and death.
It's a huge problem in japan and china right now, as a result of their politics - so I suppose it would make sense that its reflected in the game aswell..
Nigeria is predicted to have a higher population than china by the end of this century...
Maliketh only sealed DD inside his body out of guilt after a fragment of it got stolen by the Black Knives, as an added layer of protection
Pretty sure Malikath is a shadow like Blaidd. Iji said Blaidd is Rannis step brother so not so far off they call Malikath Merikas half brother because he's her shadow
FINALLY SOMEONE MADE ONE ABOUT THE GOOD BOY! Seriously though I absolutely love this character, he has that same big fight feel as Ludwig where when he finally reveals his true self you feel the weight of fighting a REAL hero, a REAL legend.
JUSTICE FOR GOOD BIG BEASTY BOY
Nah boc
@@Zombina638 boc's the biggest vagina in the lands between.
"Witless Tarnished... Why covet Destined Death? To kill what?"
The first time I heard it, I truly believed that Maliketh was a good guy and still do
The intonation of his voice actually made me feel guilty
I just muttered a response under my breath automatically: "...a God", when he said that.
Didnt saw him as a good guy and felt guilty honestly, i knew he suffered much and had good intentions but he was on a road preventing things to move on and erasing all that went before. I saw him as someone in on all the wrong things occuring even if he had good intentions in his viewpoint.
@@DreamskyDance yeah but poor guy he's only serving marika :(
Maliketh is truly the best boi ☹️
For me the guilt came before the fight, after giving him all of the Deathroot. I wanted to turn around and leave the arena, or maybe try to talk to Maliketh.
@@Galykath i feel like all the good boys are treated like trash x.x
Blaidd, betrayed
Hoarah loux's Beast Regent Serosh, sacrificed in cold blood
I think qurranq and maliketh being the same being is pretty set in stone. It’s seems obvious, to me at least with how he recognizes us when we first meet him as maliketh if we’ve given him all 9 death root.
Blaidd is Ranni's Half-Brother. All Shadows are treated as such with their Empyrean. The timeline with Maliketh is all messed up. He's Gurranq in the present, but he's unveils himself as Maliketh in Farum Azula, which is said to be in the past. And then there's the whole timeline of Marika betraying him and Ranni stealing the Rune of Death. But also, Maliketh killed the Gloam-Eyed Queen sometime in the past, but Melina is the Gloam-Eyed Queen, and she's the one who gets us to Farum Azula even though she's physically dead in the present, but unlike Ranni, she doesn't have a secondary body to enter. And then the extra confusing thing are the Godskins who are guarding the approach to Maliketh. They were put there by the Gloam-Eyed Queen, but when and why? If Melina sends us to Farum Azula, are the Godskins there meant to stop us or someone else?
For those still unconvinced Melina is the Gloam-Eyed Queen: She's clearly Marika's daughter in the same way Malenia and Miquella are, and the Gloam-Eyed Queen was said to be Marika's Empyrean daughter, who Marika had killed by Maliketh using the Black Flame. And Melina clearly says she died by fire, and you can also see burn marks on her hands. And lets not forget her eye, which is literally a "GLOAM" eye.
Melina was killed because Marika had planned to betray the Two Fingers for some time, and Melina clearly still serves them, and did before she was killed, and she was the one with the highest priority to become the next Vessel for the Elden Ring. So Marika ordered Maliketh to kill Melina, because he was the only one who had the power to kill a God/Demigod. And one that was done, she betrayed him and locked him away to guard Destined Death forever, so her precious Godwyn, her favorite son, wouldn't ever die for her transgression. Yet, Ranni had other plans and that's how the game starts. So Godwyn isn't the first Demigod to die. He's the first to officially die. Because Melina/Gloam-Eyed Queen's death was hidden. Heck, no one knew she existed other than a few select characters.
Sadly just like Blaidd, Maliketh is just a tool for his step-sister. Unlike Blaidd, his step-sister chose to deceive him and betray him.
while I agree she is her daughter, It’s not directly stated Melina is the Gloam Eyed Queen. An incarnation? A parallel? Perhaps but it’s not a fact. Also the Gloam Eyed Queen was said to be AN empyrean possibly even a rival empyrean who competed with Marika. Also I think it’s quite obvious that the godskins before the Maliketh boss fight were there looking for him. He does have the rune of their Queen after all.
this is my favorite lore channel ever such a lucky find like ur just so calming, its like im being read a nice bedtime story, i appreciate ur energy so much
Thank you so so much ! Very grateful for you finding my channel. I hope I can continue providing you with nice calming vibes ☺️
Okay, the Melina's Eye being the Beast Eye is absolutely world breaking to me. I never even noticed the uncanny relation.
Honestly, such a tragic character. He is my favorite, as his role in the story is such a tragic one. His entire existence to Marika was to be her shadow, but was turned into a vessel for Marika's schemes. He harbored destined death within his body and by consuming deathroot, he returns death to his rightful place, effectively "cleaning up" his mess. I believe Crumbling Farum Azula is perhaps a pocket dimension akin to a Prison. The Dragonlord boss was the lord of the lands between before the existence of the Greater Will. There was also a war between the dragons and Marika/The Greater Will. Perhaps upon defeat they were imprisoned?
I like this explanation for Placidusax because it also provides an origin for the battle damage he has when we face him. It's clear he's meant to be a 5 headed hydra-like monster but is down to two-heads when we face him. I'd say that based on how the entire area "rewinds" in the cut scene leading up to battling him, that he made Crumbling Farum Azula as the place he could go to survive Marika's Golden Order without her feeling the need to exterminate him entirely, i.e. a pocket dimension out of the way of the Lands Between. There are many other dragons in this dimension too, so it could be where Marika allowed them to remain in their defeated state and knowing it was a useful prison, it's where Maliketh spends his days to atone for allowing Ranni to get the jump on him.
@@dlira6242 agreed! I'm glad someone found my thought process to be agreeable. Since I last posted ive come up with my own idea for the lore behind the narrative and honestly, this game is crazy good haha
@@dlira6242DLC spoilers ahead:
we know that dragonlord placidusax or w/e u spell it fought against Bayle the Dread as when you fight Bayle you can literally see 2 of the heads of placidusax on Bayle body.
It's ironic that Rogier was friends with D. He was so close to destined death without knowing it.
Maliketh is my favorite boss, love a boss that tricks u and is secretly a bonafide badass with an awesome moveset. Dude reminds me of Ludwig cuz of that.
Awesome video!
I’m pretty sure Malekith and Blaidd are of the same species/race. Blaidd is referred to as being like Ranni’s brother, and empyreans are given the wolf/guardians by the two fingers. I think we even see a statue of a girl with wolves in Malekith’s arena. It would also explain the mention of betrayal and at least part of his madness since both Ranni and Marika betray the two fingers.
That explains a lot! Thanks for pointing out the relevance of the statue, was wondering what is was meant to signify. Really insightful comment :)
They're the shadow beast. Anyone that might become God of the great will gets a shadow beast. The shadow beast served their God but also seem to be under control by the two fingers as seen in blaidds storyline but yeah beast clergymen serve as the Gods shadow
Maliketh and Blaidd particularly are such honorable and endearing characters. Well done.
I can't believe that I read the Gargoyles weapon description that mentioned Maliketh but had no idea who that was at the time and totally forgot about it by the time I got to Maliketh! Now I definitely had my suspicions about the Beast Clergyman being Maliketh but was confused why the Clergyman was still alive after I killed Maliketh (I was at 8 death roots), but it blows my mind that I missed/ forgot so much that practically confirmed the theory! Awesome video!
What gargoyles weapon description says?
@@Knight_sa The Gargoyles black blade discription is: Broze greatsword wielded by Valiant Gargoyle mended with blackened corpse wax. Deals holy damage.
Such is the mark of those who serve Maliketh, the Black Blade.
Just found out about this channel, I find your style of explaining/narrating ER lore very simple and easy to follow!
I appreciate that you only introduced Gurranq after explaining everything else, as other lore videos introduce gurranq right away which causes a lot of back and forth on important details
Really interesting video! (And presented in such a chill, relaxing manner too lol, I'll definitely have to check out some of the others in your series on this) The Beast Eye thing in particular is a detail I've never seem discussed before
Personally, I've always read Farum Azula as still existing in the same time/dimension as the rest of the Lands Between, just with some strange properties to how time and gravity and stuff work there, but it definitely could be somehow outside of time and space completely. Either way, I blame it on leftover magical properties from when the dragons ruled and the temple hovered in the skies above the mainland, combined with... whatever event caused it to become "crumbled" in the first place and spill ruin fragments all across the continent (One theory I like for this is that it was destroyed by the Elden Beast, either when it first crashed into the Lands Between from the stars, since this wouldn't be the only time the Greater Will would use this tactic, OR!! More interestingly! When the Elden Beast transformed into the Elden Ring, if perhaps Farum Azula was the "crucible" where the beast made its transformation into a new, more Ordered form
Isn't it weird how much the Elden Beast looks like a dragon, and Placidusax with his wings furled looks like one of the Two Fingers?? I've always wondered if there was some kind of connection, like the Greater Will looked down and saw dragons as the dominant species, and crafted servants for itself that looked like them so that they would be more likely to worship it. Only in the end, the Greater Will didnt like how chaotic the dragons were, so it betrayed them and destroyed their flying temple and set Marika up as its new favorite, hoping she and humanity would be easier to control)
As for Maliketh, I suspect Gurranq may be more like a persona he puts on whenever he briefly leaves Farum Azula, so that no one recognizes him and realizes the Rune of Death is not as protected as it usually is. And these trips outside of the temple may be part of a punishment for allowing Ranni's theft, and by extension Godwyn's death. The deathroot were a direct result of this event, so he has been put on a mission by Marika to cleanse the land of them, and maybe the undead they are clearly tied to as a result, all to absolve himself of his "sin." But when he finally eats the last one and fundamentally nothing changes, he realizes the futility of his mission. He can never undo what happened or gain Marika's forgiveness
The claw like marking looks like half of the restored death rune
This is the most soothing lore video I ever did done see
What i thank most about this video is the sweet tone of voice it is made with. Not only did I get to answer some questions about sweet Maliketh, I also got soothed by her beautiful voice. Thank you so much Miss Chalice...
Thanks for the video! I'd love to see something about Sellen! She has a pretty crazy questchain.
My apprentice…
I love Sellen too!! She's definitely on my list of characters to cover :)
You do such a good work on those videos, waiting to see more of that work and see you grow bigger as I really think you do the best lore content for elden ring.
Btw, nice voice and pronunciation, I am from Spain and it is super easy to understand You.
Have a nice day 😀
Hey thanks so much! It's a big compliment that you find the way I speak easy to understand and listen to. I can't wait to do more!
OMG! I'm so glad I came across your video of this, the game makes so much more sense now lol.
It takes so long between story progression parts in the game (just due to how long it takes to play) that its hard to remember and tie everything together.
You did such a great job of explaining this all in depth, so thank you!
Good video, my theory initially was that he's literally eating the death root just to get rid of it, because if it's left out in the world or thrown away anywhere it'll just keep growing, so probaby still a task or puishment given to him by marika (like you said) or like self inflicted to try and make up for letting ranni steal the rune of death
Got the Sellen video recommend to me and I just binged all your videos. Your channel is getting recommend a lot so keep putting the videos out seems like lots of people are enjoying them!
I totally look forward to your videos! You are incredibly knowledgeable, on this subject matter, and you are completely lovely to look at, as well as to hear!
Perhaps either possessing or being of the Rune of Death causes one's eye to turn purple, that would explain why the Goddess of Death was called the Gloam-eyed Queen. And possessors of the Rune of Death were Maliketh and Ranni. I believe the "Beast-Eye" is literally Maliketh's eye, that he cut out when he bound the rune of death on his hand (in a seal as it looks like) and turned into the Beast Clergyman. And I think Ranni was the one that created Melina with the Rune of Death or Melina is possibly a part of her soul or even just her (Ranni). Because we never learn what Ranni really looked like in truth, the puppet we see of her is apparently in the image of her mentor, the witch Renna. We can only see her burned body on top of the divine tower, there we can somewhat make out that she had red hair, like her father Radagon. This further makes sense when we consider that Melina herself says that her body was burnt (because she is Ranni or part of her) and why she is so adamantly against the Frenzied Flame. The Frenzied Flame wants chaos and to burn everything, contrary to the Age of Stars that Ranni strives to create, which is represented by the chill/cold moon/night.
One more thing regarding Maliketh and Farum Azula. I think it is a place were time essentially stands still, which is why Placidusax and Maliketh are banished to there. The only thing that Maliketh left behind in the real world is his own self without the Rune of Death, even trying desperately to remove the remaining relics of the Rune in the form of the Death Roots, so that there would not be anything of Death left in the Lands Between. This is further evident in the fact that Gurranq does not turn into Maliketh when we fight him in the real world AND he is significantly weaker than the Beast Clergyman we fight in Farum Azula, because this fragment of him in the Lands Between is not comparable to his true self. BUT when we feed him all Death Roots, he vanishes away because his true body was never there, he now returns to the rest of his true self in Farum Azula, which is WHY he recognises us ONLY if we give him all Death Roots and see his real world fragment return to his Farum Azula self. This would also explain why killing him in Farum Azula does not affect him directly, BUT when you return to him shortly after killing him there, he is outside looking in the direction of Farum Azula in great distress.
On top of loving elden ring content, your voice is just so amazing to calm down and get my work done while listening to your vids. Almost an ASMR effect, my ADD and anxiety can’t thank you enough
AHHHH this is so good! Thanks for making these, I''m looking forward to more on Melina, Ranni, and Fia!
EASILY the best Elden Ring content creator atm :-))
I'm trying my very hardest to make good stuff, so happy you like it :) thank you!
Crossover content with you and Andy Cortez is needed.
Honestly im kinda glad i stumbled upon your channel whyile looking for some lore videos, i love how you puzzeled this everyhing just fits
Another fantastic video Chalice! Definitely awaiting your video on Ranni!
Something I've been intrigued to learn is about the ancient dragons and the banished knights
Very nice video, was looking forward to it. I think the only missing is his involvement with the godskins and their Queen but then again, they deserve their own video.
good catch on the clawed eye connecting maliketh, ranni and melina!
Awesome video! I believe that the beast clergyman in the lands between is the projection of Maliketh rather than him in the future. Similar to Sellen I think it explains how Maliketh knows who you are after giving beast clergyman the deathroots. And his form disintegrating is Maliketh stopping the projection
Also kinda like Margit
You’re spin on the lore is awesome, I’ll insightful
This must be by far the best ER Lore channel. I usually don't like them, at all, this one being the exception.
These lore videos are amazing! Love your work please continue with more videos.
I use your videos to sleep, your voice is so good for ASMR.
Long live the Lore Maiden!
The more story i grasped, the larger the gap between me and my understanding of the game. Thank you, Froms.
Love your vids, ever since I found you online, I am addicted to your very informative and great theories videos.
Thank you so much for this video - now everything's clear as a day!
Truly the more lore gets uncovered the more I think that most of the Star Cast of the main story aren't very decent people with Marika being possibly the worst?
Yooooo that melina beast eye connection is a shout! Nice catch
Your audio is getting so much better. Relaxing lore feels
Outer gods is a subject really interesting on elden ring´s lore!
Great vid! nice way to pull up the info! good job!
“Oh Death, become my blade once more.”
Bernahl and Vyke are neat characters to look into. Both probably the closest to becoming Elden Lord in the past, both turning down a different path after what happened to (or was bound to happen to) their Maidens. I kind of wish they were bigger deals combat-wise, given that they're our predecessors.
Vargram the Raging Wolf is another NPC that doesn't get much fanfare. Which is odd considering the fact that he's the poster boy of Elden Ring.
You have the most soothing voice ever! Thanks for another great lore video!
I was looking for this explanation for so long. Thanks so much .
Great video, loved the longer length! can't wait for the Ranni vid
You can also see the seal of destined death on Gurranq’s hand under his cloak.
"come back later when you finish the game.."
Your faith in my abilities is.. admirable. Thank you though.
If you look under the right sleeve of the clergyman you can see the rune of death
0:45 it definetly is not meant figuratively, since family bonds are truly important concept through not only this one world, but through entirety of G.R.R. Martins work. When he states that there is a family bond its not just figure of speech but really important piece of information every time. Great video, this is just one thing I caught and thought that it should be said how important family is in all his work and that its not something he would use just as "better that good friends"
It also bugs me a lot, since I dont really believe in importance of family, as there have been people in my family tree that I despise and there are people that are not related to me but still I know that I can count on them anytime, dont even get me started on nuclear family, and that makes it really hard for me to understand some thoughts and ideas that are supposed to be reflected in this world, where you need to make a fair bit of stretching for every thing that you are trying to understand.
Also everything is really fluid in this world, there are not really many things that you can rely on, Marika is sometimes woman but sometimes a dude, you can kill Maliketh 2 times in same timeline, you can kill Morgot 2 times and so on, family seems to be only thing you can rely on while trying to make sense out of it.
Great Video as always, most relaxing voice talking about the most depressing lore lmao
Also after you finish beast clergymans quest, when you walk into the boss arena he has a different dialogue and remembers the tarshined and feels betrayed since you helped him and gave him death root
your voice is so sweet and cute. that coupled with the obvious passion and obsession for this content makes watching your videos addicting. you're fucking adorable and i want more of your content.
i can look and listen to you all day - subscribed
Since Faram Azula exists outside of time its also possible that its Maliketh from the future, and he has reassembled the rune of death (thus not wanting it stolen again) but for some reason it isnt working the way it used to after it was broken apart. Pandoras box was opened and cant be put back.
Just found your channel and am loving all the content so far!
One thing I'm not convinced of though is Farum Azula existing in another dimension, so I'm not entirely certain I followed where you were going with that. It quite definitely exists in the same physical space as the rest of the Lands Between, for a few reasons:
1. You can see Farum Azula to the east from the divine tower you activate Malenia's rune at
2. You can see the mountaintops and other surroundings from Farum Azula
3. The fallen ruins scattered across the Lands Between (where you usually can collect ruin fragments or sanctuary stones) are all but certainly from Farum Azula, as the architecture is similar, and quite literally just got blown away from it by the tempest or something.
Placidusax's arena is without a doubt in the past, made obvious by the ruins reconstructing themselves, and implied by the description of Miquella's Needle and the fact you must use it there. But I don't see any reason why the Farum Azula we fight Maliketh in has to exist outside the same dimension as the rest of the game?
this was an awesome watch, thanks for sharing!
I am pretty sure beast clergyman in the maliketh fight also has different dialog at the start of the fight, if you did his quest and gave him all the root. Re recognizes you , they are 100% the same person.
Found your content on Tiktok and have lored these longer form videos on UA-cam. Any help I can get understanding Elden Ring lore is incredible.
I didn't think it was in question that the beast clergyman and Maliketh were one and the same. Also my take on the Lands Between is it is a timeless place so not so weird that the floating mausoleum is also such. Surely a being like Maliketh would traverse it just as easily as we do.
these are seriously the best lore videos thank you
Loved the video, happy to see some light being shed onto such a pivotal character
One thing im surprised I havent seen mentioned more is that maliketh seems to be the same species/race as the beast stand of hoarah loux (Serosh I think its name was), and since the 2 members of this species are currently in the service of the previous elden lord and the current queen what does this mean, if anything? Are the beasts that these 2 are seperate from the other beast men, or are they not even a species, or maybe are they just an apex of the beastmen species? Just some fun thoughts I had in my plathrough that I havent seen mentioned by others yet
I asked around, as I write Maliketh, and everyone always strongly came out to tell me Maliketh is a wolf, the same as Blaidd. But I also found him to be somewhat leonine in appearance. However his full naked model make him out to be more like a wolfman bedded a stoat... Serosh is definitely a lion, and Maliketh seems more like some sort of hybrid. The lore is frustratingly vague, but I enjoy the idea that he's a "beast" and that the exact dna mix of your average beast is somewhat irrelevant.
Maliketh is half man-half wolf, it’s why he can still talk instead of just roaring like serosh, his not the same as Blaidd if I had to guess, I think maliketh is a wolf type from the numen land
@@skinless5136 or just a beastman, being a shadow doesn't make them a Wolf since nothing proves that. It is also stated that the beastial incantaions was used before the erdtree. Maliketh uses all of those incantaions
I always thought they were the same being. This might be inconsequential because of some kind of time distortion but one playthrough before giving all death root, I went to gurranq after I’d entered the maliketh boss arena, just to to see if he was still there, and he was. So if they are the same they must exist in a separate time. I always looked at him as being a vessel for death because he’d done something terribly wrong, “I’ll never forget, my appetite, my sin”
Thanks for this insight on my favorite boss in this game
Mad respect for Maliketh, the Black Blade. Maliketh truly is a based gigachad that honestly I would say is one of the most honorable of Marikas pawns.
you miss are Over Powered! you have a beautiful and mesmerizing voice, you study and game like a god. I have no doubt that you are some kind of Empyrian!
bro..... yuck
Found your channel through another UA-camr and had to subscribe. Amazing content! Can’t wait to see more lore videos for Elden ring :D
Good video!
I wonder if Farum Azula's weird relationship with time is necessary for how the Rune of Death works in the golden order. Perhaps Malikath needed to keep it there specifically and only use it there. While the player defeats Malikath and takes it from him, unlike other great runes, we never actually get to activate the Rune of Death at a Divine Tower. Lore-wise, maybe doing so would change the world in a game-breaking way.
Best lore videos on UA-cam. Keep them coming gorgeous 😊
You are really doing a great job of gathering and interprating all these information ! through your links and connections you provide the best lore vidéos i have Seen !
I am impatient to sée what you would tell us about Ranni, and if we il now a bit more about thé fenzied flame which IS the way of my first run 🤩
Great vid Miss C! I never finished the deathroot quest. After I killed Maliketh, I went back to see Gurranq, thinking they must have some kind of connection. I got no dialogue options there, but interesting to find out that he's probably the same dude. Gurranq is still there though, after you've beaten Maliketh, so perhaps that alternate dimension thing you mentioned explains it.
You are awesome!amazing presentation and amazing delivery. Great voice and great looking. Keep it up.
That's pretty rad. I think you're right on btw, the only part I'm a little unclear on is the details and timelines of how the Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Godskin apostles tie in.
Just found your page and love your lore videos! So well made and such a soothing voice!
The 100% proof to me for the theory that Maliketh=Gurranq is that we can see the rune of death bracelet on Gurranq paw
I appreciate you clearing this up
From Maliketh's dialogue, my understanding is that his memories are coming back as he eats more deathroot. You have to bear in mind that if he's anything like Blaidd, and is under the influence of the Two Fingers as a shadowboundbeast, then he must have gone completely insane when Marika betrayed the order, the same way Blaidd eventually does, potentially trying to kill her. And then stayed that way for 1,000+ years.
When you beat him after he attacks you as Gurranq, he says "I won't forget... again..." Which implies he'd "forgotten". I don't think it means it's a punishment. Just... the degradation over time. I think he's eating deathroot because the majority of the rune of death is inside of his body, and he might be experiencing a craving for the "rest of it", on top of him thinking his failure is a "sin" and that it's his duty to restore the rune. But he's not sane, and hopes to fix things by eating deathroot.
He's also caught howling in despair, and if you kill him he asks Marika "Why gull me... why shatter..." Implying that he's come to realise that Marika blindsided him and used him, yet isn't aware of her reasons.
The popular theory right now is that Marika was herself behind the assassination of her own child, and helped Ranni with her plot, maybe providing the Numen assassins. This is hinted by Melina telling you "Marika's own words" which seem to imply she exiled Godfrey and the Tarnished as part of a greater plot and that your presence now is all according to her plans.
My theory is that Gurranq leaves the Sanctum to go to Farum Azula, because he's "done" with his only way of restoring the rune. It failed, "it's all he could do in this place" and now he just goes to the most remote and inaccessible area possible to better safeguard his part of the rune.
I don't think there's any punishment involved, but there's definitely the side effects of Marika's betrayal, leaving him in the dark, and potentially the influence of the two fingers.
Sorry for repeating a lot of the evidence point, it might sounds like I haven't bothered with your video-I have, it's very nice!-but I wanted my own train of thought to be as clear as possible!
One last bit : you can kill Blaidd when you first meet him. He also "dissolves" and has a unique dialogue sort of mocking you. "You're strong of arm. But ask yourself, what harm can be done, to a shadow?"
And he of course respawns. So I don't think you CAN kill Maliketh/Gurranq, in any concrete way, until Marika is dead. Then... who knows what happens to him? But I think it looks final because he looses the rune of death, but he most likely respawns (which would also explain why if you haven't given Gurranq all deathroots, he'll still be there at the Sanctum after you defeat Maliketh... That's fine, but the lack of unique dialogue/reactions is disappointing)
When you kill malekith, gurraq is still there... Most storylines in this game dont stick. Kinda BS.
Is important to consider that Gurranq is a Vendor type NPC, and Elden Ring is video game, there are many examples of Bosses/NPCs that have a "True" Boss form, and yet, can still be fought in other locations, like the 2 Margits, and the Bell Bearing Hunter, even after defeating their "true" froms.
I know this is From, and they used to put "Lore" first, before the player's comfort, but that changed between DS2 and DS3, where they added the option to interact with Dead NPCs, Revive them, or obtain an item that allows you to still buy their items after dead. Elden Ring continues this new development, with the Celestial Dew for example.
At the end of the day, if Gurranq dies at the same time that Maliketh does, the average player will lose out on many Incantations, an Ash of War, a Weapon and an important upgrade Material. The same can be said of other examples like the Bell Bearing Hunter.
I always thought the 'I won't forget again' line was from him attacking you. He does so 3ish times and I just assumed he was reminding himself you were an ally or to control his beastial urges.
You're right, the voiceline does trigger after he's de-aggroed. Funny how he says he won't forgot just to do it all over again
Would love a video on the Frenzied Flame. Very interesting philosophy behind it
ooooo the Frenzied Flame is such a crazy ending. I would love to cover that, thanks for the suggestion!
You are becoming one of my fav UA-camrs 😭😭💕. I love these videos so much, especially since the story can be confusing lol. But I was wondering could you do a video about Sellen in the future? She’s my fav NPC xD.
If you move the camera around Gurranq you can see the red jewel inside his left (if I remember correctly) hand. Enjoyed the video cheers.
These lore videos are amazing just found the channel the way you explain things and lay out these videos is so great sort of reminds me of VaatiVidya. So interesting and relaxing to sit down and watch these keep up the good work and can't wait to see more :)
Gurrang/Maliketh was really important in the way i roleplayed my first playthrough, i made a strength/faith beast build, so Gurrang was a sort of mentor figure for my character making the fight with maliketh even more tragic.
In my playthrough i used all the beast incantations and several weapons linked to Gurrang and the beasts, the Beastman Cleaver, the Gargoyles Black Blade, the Cinquidea, the Beastclaw Greathammer and eventually Malikeths Black Blade...
I quite like the idea that the eye is Melinas. I cant fully buy into it because she still has 2 eyes( opens both in an ending), and the beast eye is supposedly made of stone. The color definitely matches though, and its ability to sense deathroot ties in with destined deaths role to act as a sort of reaper.
I think what I enjoy about your presentation is that, and I don't know how else to say this, your voice sounds like a Soulsborne character.
Also the interior of Bestial Sanctum is full of the statues that you see in Farum Azula
Poor doggo. I just wanna hug him now...
I named my Guinea pig Gurranq, but he normally goes by Boo Boo
Basically, he's like Sif in DS1. And Farum Azula is in the future, just like Oolacile was in the past.
You're like an Elden Ring NPC come to life. That's probably why you know so much
Lore mommy back at it again
Yesssss a video on my favorite!!
Her voice is like a blanket🥹so soothing
fun fact , gurranq can be translated into golden arm and an incarnation of Krishna who is an avatar of the creator Vishnu so it could be maliketh giving himself a name to fit how he's feel .