Bernahl's Underrated and WILD Quest | Elden Ring Lore
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- Опубліковано 7 гру 2023
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Who is Bernahl? Why does he invade you? And what happened to his maiden?? Today I deep dive and answer all these questions!
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Just brought 2 posters!! Thanks for the discount
I wish more UA-cam creators would promote things like this instead of the same few mobile games. Thanks for sharing!
I always made connections to Elden ring , ds3 and bloodborne
Miss chalice, your voice and essence make me feel like you value the golden rule and being treated equally but fairly. Your necklace makes me wonder if you also at times want to be someone kitty, or pet. 😜
My interpretation of it is that Bernahl saw us in this place from the duo fight and knew what we were doing having gone down this road and coming up short. He's full of honor and may have thought we could not have beaten Maliketh without the stone he had. His journey failed and so to see if we were ready to finish what he couldn't he fights us in the way a recusant does by invading. This invasion is a test to make sure we can finish his fight and succeed where he failed. In doing that it carries his hope and blessing with us into the rest of our rebellion against the tree.
Excellent perspective.
That’s an extremely charitable view, for someone that murders for fun and power.
This was my take as I was watching as well--however, if he wanted us to succeed, why not just cooperate with us in the Maliketh fight, thereby doubling the chance of his mission's success?
It's a bit of a rhetorical question, because who ever knows with Fromsoft? But it's odd to me that Bernahl helps against the Godskins, whom he has no personal connection with, rather than helping with Maliketh--whom he has lore-driven motivations to fight. After all, I don't think he's as much concerned about your own success as he is with the fulfillment of his "brother's" will, a goal with which you are both aligned.
I like this interpretation. It fits very well with the code and when Bernahl says "The strong take." He took the stone, then we took it from him.
@@EldenRingBuildsArchivethat’s the general motivation for Recusants but Bernahl specifically has a grudge against the Erdtree so his motivation isn’t power for powers sake and given how he talks about the act of killing other Tarnished I don’t think he’s doing it for fun.
You and Vaati are my go-to Elden Ring creators. You both have this calm & serene cadence to your voices. Your videos are informative and insightful, and borderline ASMR, lol.
For real, they’re my two favorite lore content creators for the same reason
Thank you so much :)
If @vaatividya had bolted ons I would have left my wife for him.
i rememver when vaati was just getting started, he used to get EVERYTHING wrong lol, how far he has come
True. Chalice and Vaati ALWAYS get me immersed in FromSoft's worlds no matter what they're talking about. Chalice's video about Gideon and Vaati's one abt the Ds3 bosses still send FKING shivers down my spine. I feel like I actually live in the damn Miyazakiverse 😂
Then there's Hawkshaw if ur feeling more unhinged than usual. That plot against the gods video felt like straight up drugs
My theory on why Bernahl invades you is quite simple, he does it because it is the final and ultimate expression of the Recusant code. The strong devour, the weak are subsumed into the strong. As the last two Recusants, one of you will face Maliketh, the other will be "devoured" and their stuff taken by the victor. This is notable throughout the questline, you don't just kill your targets, you loot them, adding their strength to yours, and the key item he carries is no exception. Devouring them like the serpent. Great video, I absolutely subscribe to Rykard ideologically being our "brother" because it fits the whole thing Rykard has of his devoured champions being his family, and thus when we beat him, didn't he become our family too?
It's interestiing that the Tarnished vying to become Elden Lord aren't so different. At the end of the day, there can be only one Elden Lord, a state of affairs that implies conflict between the candidates. The Recusants aren't so much the opposite of the Tarnished seeking to become Elden Lord, but their mirror image. That explains also how Rykard was able to slip so easily from Inquisitor of the Golden Order to Blasphemer-in-Chief - at the end of the day, both positions he occupies aren't so different.
I always liked Bernahl as a character and this deep dive makes me like him even more
He seems like such a noble badass knight
And going against the golden order is very based too
Not really lore connected, but I recently had an odd interaction with Bernahl that I thought I'd share here. During my last play through I had the thought, "What happens if you kill Rykard before speaking with anyone in Volcano Manor?" So I used the Abductor Virgin in Raya Lucaria to teleport me to Volcano Manor, used the safe jump off the cliff side, and fought my way to Rykard. Once Rykard was dead, and I finished off Tanith and her bodyguard who immediately show up on reload of the boss room, I made my way back to the Manor proper. Once I got there the only npc still hanging around was Diallos. Bernahl, Patches, and Rya were nowhere to be found. Upon revisiting the Warmaster's Shack there was an item to pick up that contained all of Bernahl's gear, and his store bell bearing. But Bernahl himself was gone.
This also continued when I got to the Godskin Duo. Bernahl's summon sign was completely gone. However, his invading phantom still exists, and will still drop the Blasphemous Claw.
Again, probably not lore connected, but I kind of like the head cannon that without the Manor to give him some kind of purpose he just kind of gives up and leaves.
also he leaves his zwei on the chair where hes sitting in the manor
Very cool brother!
Bernahl's zweihander is such a kingly relic, that it is the only weapon in the game to be used as an NPC. truly one of the legendary armaments. He leaves it on the chair to come thump you with that serpent-stick
you can buy AoW from his sword when volcano manor is finished. any other times a weapon is used as a vendor?
Bernahl is a character who's quest and lore has always kinda confused me but after this video I feel like a lot has been cleared up! I never realized how in depth his quest was. I think for me I like a combination of both interpretations, he started out as a loyal soldier on his way to become Lord but became bitter and resentful when he realized what he would have to do to become Lord. Lovely video Chalice I love your Elden Ring content 😄
Thank you so much! It's really satisfying to hear that I can convey my thoughts well enough to clarify or change the perspectives of others. Making thought-provoking stuff is my passion and I'm glad you enjoy it :)
I second this take, as it would explain why Bernahl would have the insight and compassion for someone who at first answers "my faith holds firm" yet still ends up at the volcano manor. It takes one to know one kinda thing.
Bernahl was actually one of my favourite characters from my first playthrough, since i met him and he sold me ashes of war, to the end when he dropped an object that can block destined death, badass character, but so little said of him, i appreciate the video haha
My favorite character is Fia.
Why the "haha"?
He’s basically the only person in all the lands between who still knows wind magic
its also possible that he meant to give you the stone but needed to affirm through combat that you were worthy of having it. he did mention that the strong take, such is our code so maybe his challenging you was a way to tell you if you want this take it. another great video!
I like to think that Bernahl fighting you before Maliketh's fight is a test for your strength and capability to retrieve the rune of death. He knows you are strong, you killed Rykard and many powerful tarnished before... but powerful enough to kill him and complete the quest? He had to test it and see with his own eyes.
Yeah-I agree with this read.
He values his own power and strives to improve it to take on the greater will himself. He sees you’re doing the same. He intends to either defeat you and usurp your destiny, going on to defeat Maliketh himself with everything he has and everything you have, or end up being defeated by you, to go on to defeat Maliketh yourself.
I had no idea how much depth he had. Just like the Goldmask and Iji videos, I'm learning SO much on this channel. Great video.
As someone who has done HEMA, I can confirm that two-handing gives you better handling of your weapon. Thanks for mentioning that detail, Chalice. I didn’t notice that.
lol
Ah, a fellow hema friend
Ok then let me ask you a question, if u have a arming sword, would it still help to use Ur left hand even if it just holds the pommel?
@@We3dCraftLP Probably not but half swording or the mordhau are two handed techniques you could do with a onehanded sword
Nobody asked
Yes! Ugh, I'm so glad that you're covering Bernahl. I loved his quest, and I'm excited to watch this video and learn even more about him!
Bernhal's maiden deserves a massive hug.
And a lot of skin grafts.
The fact that he is in Azula means his maiden did succeed and he was sent to Azula, this also explains why the maiden part was cut from the final version. But realizing what has happened he probably didn't proceed. I always thought if a summon sign appears it means the NPC has come there and left the sign to help others so yes Bernahl was here. Since the Bernahl who invades us has the claw, it suggests he was part of Volcano manor and met Rykard. But we will have to speculate his reason for invading us. (He seemed composed about carrying on his brother's will)
bernahl’s maiden failed to become kindling because she misunderstood what it meant to burn, and first tried to burn herself with simple fire, then the various flames of the lands between, but what melina had that bernahl’s maiden didnt was the knowledge of melina’s mother/sister marika, that the flame needed is twofold and both flames are hidden away, one on the mountaintops of the giants, and one outside time in farum azula
And one buried deep underground
Unexpected Bleach
Listening to your seamless transition into displate, and your sweet presenting voice, it makes me realize more and more how much of a master of your craft you are.
Simp
Excellent video, as always!
Okay so here's how I'm putting all this together in my head, lol.
-Bernahl was once a devout follower of the Golden Order and perhaps wanted to be Elden Lord.
-He had a maiden, probably figured out that the Tree needed to be burned, but failed.
-Disheartened and feeling rejected, he turned to Volcano Manor and becomes a Recusant (the addition of his helmet and new weapon reflects this change in direction).
-We summon him to Farum Azula and he figures out that we were the ones who were able to burn the tree.
-After returning home, he then invades us... for whatever reason. I can't help but remember his code, "The strong take.". Perhaps his reasoning for killing his own kind was to test them. If they can be beaten by him, someone who failed to take the throne, then they aren't worthy of it. Or even worse yet, he intended to find a tarnished who has progressed farther than he could... and simply replace them. To take their place on the path towards Elden Lord and kill Maliketh for himself. From honorable knight to usurper... maybe because he thought the Golden Order was flawed from the very beginning... but still had faith in the Greater Will.
I'm probably very wrong about a lot of things but I think it's an interesting angle to the story. ^_^
I love your videos they are so calm and you can tell you love the game’s characters even if the stories are experienced in such a subtle way. Keep up the great stuff :3
I love coming home from work and seeing a new chalice notification! I could listen to her silky smooth auritory voice all day! You do such a good job creating these video essays and i cant wait for more! Miss chalice the muse of the erdtree!
This is one of my favorite Elden Ring lore videos. I never thought too deeply on Bernahl's character but there is so much to unpack. I especially love that detail of Melina putting you to sleep which I didn't think much of at first. Please keep these videos coming
I completed the entire Vulcano Manor sidequest and had already found it incredible when I played, collecting only the information I had noticed within the game. But each video you made about this quest line has left me even more astonished at how good this game is. I had never noticed that Bernahl is the same character who appears in that abandoned house (but that's due to my memory haha). Anyway, something I didn't understand is whether Bernahl was already a part of Vulcano Manor at that initial moment when you encounter him or not. But if he wasn't, and he becomes what he is in the mansion... that's really cool
Thank you for this video, been looking for a lore video about Bernahl for a while, he is my favorite NPC, keep up the amazing work!
Loving your lore videos. Extremely well made and thoroughly explained as well as the depth or research into the games. Huge appreciation for your talent. Keep up the amazing work!
Dude this was a masterclass on character lore videos. I loved how you gradually introduced elements of his story character and inspiration and finally the conclusion to his story. I had missed the majority of his quest so I was mainly unaware of all this. Suffice it to say my jaw dropped at the Farum Azula incident and you introduced it so well, I was engaged 100% of the time.
Great presentation and narration, keep up the good work!
Also it was great how you referenced the previous dialogue choices effects on later dialogues. Very helpful for those of us who have missed most of these interactions
that scene with zaraki is one of my favorites in the whole series. so glad you mentioned it
I always stunned by how much I have missed when I watch your videos! Thanks for another beautiful story ❤️
I love your content miss chalice, you and vaati vidya are my go to for all lore - thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Finally getting around to watching this one.
I'm so elated for a new video. That voice is like a lulling coo while retreading the deep lore. Always thrilled for more.
The lore in this game always surprises me, I had never thought about Bernahl's story while playing it, maybe because we find him so far apart in our own journey. As always, great video. You have such a beautiful way to tell these stories.
Wow, the part where you describe the story comes full circle, really got me. What an amazing writing, man...
Great video!🎉 Bernhal already had the serpent scepter if you kill him in Limgrave, so he’s already under the service of Rykard. I think he’s in Limgrave to hunt for tarnished, and we are lucky he liked us. He also has the amulet that wards off Maliketh’s power, which was given to him by Rykard.🎉l😢
Bernahl and the Warmaster's shack in Limgrave are both next to your first contract's target. It's possible he was there looking for Old Knight Istivan, or locating him for your eventual contract
Yeah we all watched the video buddy.
@@alexbarn3841cry
Great to see you back Chalice! Really enjoyed this one and had no idea of the depth of Bernahl's story. Thank you!
What an incredibly peaceful and thoughtful piece of content. Definitely going to listen to a lot more.
That was a very informative and well put together lord video. Never would have expected him to have such a deep backstory. it’s always fun to find the more down low lore of characters
Due to work I've been watching less youtube and my recommended has been pretty dry. Even tho I'm subbed to a bunch of channels I never seem to get the videos on my feed. Glad that this video showed up :) I got 2 more (previous ones) to view after this one. Good way to spend my friday night imo :D. Glad to see ur still making videos, its always a pleasure to watch them!
Never thought it went that deep with him, always thought he was just another follower of rykard. Amazing work as always!!
Fantastic lore video for this guy. I had no idea about the lost maiden part. Thank goodness for the cut content miners, and thank goodness for you. Welcome back!
A man driven by faith and honor, who realizes that his faith is nothing more than false hope and manipulation from the two fingers. A man whose honor transcends his life as a recuscant. A Tarnished who should have become elden lord.
Awesome video as alaways Miss Chalice! I didnt do the Volcano Manor stuff so I didn't realize there was so much to Bernahl, but I like the idea thats he's just very hurt and broken
Another informative and fun lore video, thanks Chalice!
Love all your vids, great at keeping me awake on nightshift! Keep up the awesome work!
I absolutely adore how you breakdown the lore of ER. I love the game and lore to begin with but as you explain it i find it soothing. Your voice is super gentle and calming, it turns a world of chaos as presented in ER to something else entirely.
You will never understand how much a appreciate these videos/
Maxing out levels in Darksouls is the main reason.
New camera setup looks great. Thanks for another lovely video
Absolutely amazing and detailed video :)
Excellent video; as always. Your voice is so soothing... keep up the great work
i feel like the leaving of the zweihander at the manor is him leaving behind honour in order to double down on the serpent path. killing anyone weaker than him and feeding them to the serpent wich would now be tanith after she eats rykard. when he helps you kill the god skins its just so he can kill you later and absorb your strength (when he invades).
This one hit a little close to home. Thank you for the heads up by the way. Still working on the game and haven't gotten that fare yet but your veiw point oh him gives me a new found respect for him and my heart goes out for him. THANK YOU.
awesome vid as always :,) man i love you vids i am glad the algorithm bright you back on my timeline idk what happened but it stoped showing me your vids that are not elden ring related :(
WOW great content , thanks for the insight on Bernahl
I'm glad UA-cam finally saw fit to recommend your channel to me. Great video!
I am constantly amazed how much I still have to learn about elden ring despite hundreds of hours of gameplay and endless lore videos!! you've become one of my favorite youtubers, keep up the awesome work!
Thank u for this. I have a new respect for Bernal after hearing your deep dive.this emotionally striking to me.☺️
You mentioning my fav character of all time Cloud at the beginning is kinda awesome
I would pay for Final Fantasy Lore videos fr
These videos are fantastic if I can stay awake for the whole thing lol. Your voice always makes me sleepy
you do such fantastic work! thank you for these videos!
Great work as always! I went down a little bit of a rabbit hole after watching this as Bernahl's maiden and Caelid also reminded me of another famous maiden of that Smoldering Church... Anastasia! I wonder if they are linked or if the encounter was repurposed? It always struck me as strange as she didn't seem to fit the mould of a Recusant or Mohg Dynasty invader
I looked to see if there were any other connections. While her locations are quite wide spread she is also encountered in a shack at the foot of Gelmir. The Shack contains the spell "Golden Vow" which has an ash of war version that I think Bernahl used a lot in his shack encounter in your footage.
On her not being bandaged as Anastasia, she also drops a Sacred Scorpion talisman, which depicts a scorpion shedding it's skin and seizing a glowing heart. Maybe related to her shedding her old skin for a new one somehow?
Some pseudo theories - Maybe she is consuming tarnished in order to become worthy kindling for Bernahl (winning back his heart)? Maybe consuming as an act of rebellion? Or maybe Bernahl fell to despair after being catfished by a cannibal
Another fantastic deep dive from my favourite asmr/lore channel. I've done everything associated with Bernahl but didn't know half of this. I wish they had left his maiden in the game, that adds so much depth.
i love the way you present this analysis. very nice intonation to your voice. ❤
❤ chalice I have a 100 percent play through and I still learn from your videos. I probably won’t play the game again until dlc comes out because I spent so much time in it when it came out, but I look forward to your videos after the dlc.
new sub, awesome video! noticed that your first video was a year ago and you're so close to 100k subs, that's amazing! keep it up
Is this asmr?
TSMR
I hope not… I’m here for lore
Fr
Maybe not intentionally, but she could be very good at it.
Your voice is like actually perfect for these kinds of Lore explaining videos.
Bernahl is one of my favorite characters in Elden Ring. Super glad you made this video.
Oh boy! I love when I get surprised with a Chalice, Elden Ring video ❤
Omg I’m in tears! Hearing Bernhal’s Maiden’s dialogue is soo heartbreaking ❤️🩹
Great video!!! A game that I think could generate good content is Lies Of P, even though its story is more explained, there's also a lot left open! However, I love every video, whatever the theme ❤
This video was fantastic! I would love to see you cover eileen the crow's questline from bloodborne!!
@miss_chalice you're videos are too good! I look forward to every new video. Keep killing it.
Thank you for reminding me of the amazing spectacle it was to see Kenpachi utilizing his true shikai: a two-handed swing
Great lore, great narration and an absolute smoke show.
Super interesting video. You seem like a wonderful person. I just found this channel and will watch many other videos and undoubtedly have a great time. Thank you for making these videos.
I've always loved the interactions with Bernahl during all my playthroughs in which I join the Volcano Manor. He's such an interesting one, and I'd been contemplating his invasion upon the player for a while. I really like the idea that Bernahl is still just living on somewhere, perhaps having settled down and found a new, happy way to live, in a world of peace under the player as Elden Lord.
Another brilliant video! I love Elden Ring with a passion, also big fan of warhammer so nice Night Haunt displate :P
Love your videos! I always found it interesting that Ranni “rewarded” the Blasphemous Claw. Assuming the translation holds, it makes me wonder what deed Rykard performed for Ranni in order to be “rewarded” with the claw…
Helped her with the Night of the Black Knives. May be something about the stolen fragment of Destined Death as receiving the claw means a protection from Maliketh.
It's always a pleasure to binge VaatiVidya's videos, just as I will do now with these.
I have no neighbors and an Akai sound system, your videos are the only time I crank out my Razer Nari. 👌
I have done his quest like once, i loved it but my god his armor is too good and cool looking for me to not inmediately zoop him out of existence
Love the video Chalice
have no idea who bernhahl is. was looking for marika lore. watched like this whole video just because i loved your voice 😭
Bernahl is my favorite NPC, the duel is amazing and the 2v2 invasion was amazing. The blasphemous claw was very useful, and I find it strange that he had it, he must've taken it from Rykard's bedroom or something haha. He is an extremely well written, and tragic character. Yet an honorable and powerful friend until the end.
Yes!! Please more!! I love your interpretation and wisdom. Not gonna lie tho, I love your voice ❤️
I appreciate the work you put into making these videoes, but I still use them to fall asleep, I find your voice very soothing lol
Cool video (I should really continue playing Elden Ring)! As a Monster Hunter enjoyer, the reference almost made me spit my tea, I wasn't prepared.
I send your videos to fromsoftware on twitter telling them to give you a call to be a voice actor
You're too kind :) Thank you. I've done a couple of small VA parts but would like to breakthrough into more. I will keep trying, and thank you so much for believing in my voice!
I don’t play video games and I’m now fascinated by the story. You have a very rare gift that the best teachers have, that being an ability to cultivate curiosity in others from scratch. It is something that people work their entire lives to cultivate. Also I would love to hear you read poetry, especially by someone like Elizabeth Barrett Browning or Edna St. Vincent Millay
Never been a lore guy. But this was a very thoughtful explaination of part of the story.
Thanks!
Great video as always!
Agree there's not much to connect Bernahl to Rykard as his biological brother: he's doesn't have the R in his name, and he doesn't have the red hair of Radagon. He could be Tanith's brother, but we don't get any text saying he's from a foreign land.
The fourth bassinet is a weak theory as well, the fourth child could be the one in the Great Rune of The Unborn.
There's a note in the wiki that if you don't talk to him at the manor (reveal that he's a recusant and finish his dialog) he doesn't invade you at Farum Azula, so it does seem like his dialogue and his possession of the Claw (Which he only gets after Rykard dies, I'm thinking?) Implies that he thinks that there "can only be one" and HE wants to be the one that get the Rune of Death and fells the Greater Will, he certainly has the motive, as well as the overall nihilistic philosophy
He is Tarnished, and he's a Knight (of what?) , as well as a BEAST champion, so that puts him a bit closer to Hoarah Loux. He does have extraordinary Strength as indicated by the text in the Zwiehander.
The weird part is that the Devourer's Scepter is one of the Legendary Armaments, meaning the Recusant Faction had two all along.
13:05 rather than just the Hunters, the Recusants more akin to the Cainhurst Hunters.
Think about it: they both serve a lady consort of a noble, they are both considered blasphemous by the ruling clergy/order and the Cainhurts Hunters are specialized in hunting other Hunters rather than beasts, like the Recusants hunting other Tarnished.
Finally, been looking and waiting for a lore on this guy, his my favorite npc through the game, especially when I realized he was a actually a recusant when I first played the game..
The levels of interpretation in this game is astounding. There’s a million ways to piece the puzzle of Elden Ring together but I have to say the level your videos does it is top tier. This game gets ya thinking. 🤔
Bernahl is one of my favorite NPCs and I really didnt think he was gonna get this shine. I'm here for it.
Huge fan of these lore videos. Any possibility of you doing a video or series on Lies of P?
Obviously you were explaining the Zweihander based on the game, but i just want to note that while it was heavier than other swords, you can easily maneuver with it. It was by no means as heavy as it is portrayed ingame.
Love the comedic timing you have
Bernahl's the warrior archetype that you see in a lot of, "way of the warrior" type stories. He lives to fight, and his natural code gravitates towards the strong.
Bestial hierarchies are often like this in nature. The dominance displays determine who mates, who rules, and who lives.
His red spirit in Farum Azula is more or less confirmation that he is dead. In the first Souls game, Demon's Souls, when one fell to a "black" phantom which always had a strong red hue, their soul was one step away from non-existence. It represented a fall from sanity and from stability and the final stage of being incorporeal, with no way back to a physical body.
Obviously this has changed over the years, but they do call back to it every now and again. For Bernahl we have to take in the context of Crumbling Farum Azula.
Farum Azula as it exists in the present of Elden Ring's narrative is more or less a prison for sinners. Following the idea that the game is entirely Marika's plan and will, she would have known that when you committed sin of burning The Erdtree, you would be sent there. That is why she commanded Maliketh to be there( or perhaps his sin of failing to protect The Rune of Death from Ranni's Black Knives caused him to be there). Bernahl is a Recusant, and Recusants inherently sin. They go against the will of Marika, and the Greater Will itself, or so they say in their grand standing. Given the attempts of his maiden, Bernahl had in the past intended to burn the impenetrable thorns of The Erdtree. Of course, his maiden failed, but he intended to sin. To commit the same sin that Melina allows you to partake in.
You might ask, well, then why did Warrior Jar Alexander wind up in Farum Azula? His summon sign against The Fire Giant means he aided and abetted in our sin.
So, back to Bernahl. There in Farum Azula, he had progressed farther than we did, but even with the claw, he was unable to overcome Maliketh. His invasion spot is very close to the treasure chest that contains The Talisman of The Old Lords. A talisman in the shape of Dragonlord Placidusax. A treasure you only find if you're looking for something other than the way forward, or perhaps, for help against Maliketh.
If you ignore or quickly kill the sleeping beasts there, then Bernahl will invade with your back turned to him. This is indicative of his struggle. He has given up on honor. He aims to take what you have, and perhaps find the strength to keep on going. But of course, he's not the Tarnished guided by Grace. He is only a mighty warrior who has met and trained his match.
Those posters are pretty awesome!
I ❤ the Soft, Subtle, Storytelling!
You remind me of Melina the way you speak 😊