Ulcerated Tree Spirit || Boss Designs of Elden Ring #6
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- Опубліковано 17 лис 2023
- See my UNEDITED playthrough here: • Elden Ring Unedited
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In the place where we began, the Fringefolk Hero's Grave, behind a racetrack course of traps and ghosts and poison, a serpent waits, chewing on the roots of the trees that make the world.
Or are they spirits, whose nature reveals the heart of the tree to their enemies?
Let's find out.
Title theme: "Cinder & Ash"
Composed by Tre Watson
/ @trewatsonmusic
Royalty free music in my videos sourced from filmmusic.io, incompetech.com, and composed by Kevin Macleod. Used under a Creative Commons license ((creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)
Additional music by Stevia Sphere
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Used under a Creative Commons License
#eldenring - Ігри
For those who didn't watch to the end, but are interested in the next episode of the Boss Designs of Elden Ring, he has a request that is very important to hear! Please, do consider watching to the end! ^v^
Long story short, he *will* finish this series, so if you worry that he abandoned the project, it is just that the game is absurdly long, and he needs to figure out how to edit this mess of Past Skyen adventuring with no real process or plan! (I think, I didn't watch when he was playing through this live XD)
Take care of yourselves, and please do be kind to one another! All the love, and have a good time! 🌲🧡
Thanks for adding this note. I watched to the end, but it's an important request that I'd like all the viewers to see.
Heh, the editing on the chariot got me almost as good as the chariot itself did on my first time through.
I've waited months for this episode, and i couldn't be more satisfied, the chariot broke me lol
the music on the chariot is the best thing in the video. made me laugh all the time
The only thing that could of made that better was death metal, cuz I know that’s what immediately was playing in mind as I ran away screaming my first time 🤣💯☠️
I laughed so hard . I just didnt expect it at all xd
Why is there not a mod that does this? There's a mod that turns the chariots into giant spooky masks but not one that gives them new music??
the whole joke of "sudden, rapidly passing object followed by fitting music" will never EVER get old to me. comedy GOLD
"I thought he was gonna follow me."
TBSkyen has taught me that this is called foreshadowing!
And the reverb, the echo, how it changes when the chariot leaves! Your editor did even better than usual, that was wonderful! and if that was you...Great job!
If I recall Skyne edits theses himself
It was sending me the entire time! Now try it with stereo sound >:)
DEJA VU! 😂
I think there is wiggle room for both interpretations, honestly. The tree spirit originally being a predator of the trees fits the inspiration, but as like you said yourself, the acts of grafting and subsuming are central to the game. Much like the golden order, the Erdtrees could graft what they cannot kill, making the spirits horrifying extensions of themselves via a sacrifice or their own matter that corrupted the spirits towards the tree, turning it into a protector for it's roots with the natural inclination to guard it's "food", and punishing it in a way it has no means of comprehending now that it has changed so drastically.
Deeply deeply DEEPLY appreciate the dedication to fading that music in and out with the chariot coming and going.
"Skyen wants big sword."
Great video, as always, Skyen. And good luck with the brain issues.
🌳🌳🌳🌳
8:05
Worth the wait for this alone.
Yeah when Skyen gave the ADHD drop I remembered this moment and was like "yeah checks out"
Skyen spinning a shield around himself to circus music: "You waited months for this episode"
Me enjoying the spectacle: "You're damn right I did"
The chariot edit made my day, especially since you committed to the bit and did it for all the chariot instances. If it's not too much trouble, I would mightily appreciate it if you continued that as a running joke. It really made me smile.
EDIT: ALSO, I just wanna say - I get looking forward to a series, but it's important for people to realize that content creators aren't machines. Life happens. Just stay subscribed and go watch some other stuff, and you'll be pleasantly surprised the next time that thing you were looking forward to shows up on your feed.
Watching this specific serie always give me joy because I love how good the gameplay is edited and especially the analysis. It really shows your growth as UA-camr.
The Ulcerated Tree Spirit is a boss I never gave much thoughts because it was one of my most hated bosses to play against, especially how often it appeared. I remember that in one instance it appeared and I was like "NO! I have fought like half of dozen of these, I'm not gonna fight another one!" only to find out that I have to beat it to advance one questline. (I was not happy but I did it)
I never thought about grafting in the same vein as cannibalsm but it does make sense. Especially since ina later region / major questline the topic of consumption, especially in the topic of gaining more power, will play an important role... but I'm not gonna spoiler it.
Please take all the time you need and I can't wait to see the next episode whenever it comes out!
But there are no tree spirits in consumption land? Or did i miss one?
@@Aratovi I was referring to the topic of consumption regarding the whole Volcano Manor Plotline, not about the Ulcerated Tree Spirit! Because cannibalism does appear in at least one very important instance, but not gonna say more because of spoilers.
(Spoilers for an endgame area)
A sidequest where you have to defeat a Tree Spirit, huh? You mean the rotten one in Miquella's Haligtree? Don't know what possessed them to have a pseudo-boss fight in an area of THAT size. And one where about 50 percent's taken up by a puddle of rot
@@KeDe1606 Yeah that one. I mean, the arena is pretty with the whole lilies but boi, then I reached the Haligtree I was sick of seeing these bosses and I was ready to skip it... but nop, you need to kill it to finish Millicent questline.
@@Lady_Faceless yeah, I loved the visual design and lore of that place, but it has this „DS1 Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith“ kind of feel, with all the reused bosses and/or large enemies. It’s obviously way better designed than that… *thing,* but it was still really annoying
I have to say, I started to follow your channel because of your Souls boss design series.
One part of me is always sad when the breaks between episodes are extremely long.
But everytime I think about these breaks I rewatch your boss design videos and make some of the themes you talk about into D&D sessions 😂
And don’t stress too much about that (easy said I know), we all want boss design episodes. But even more we want a healthy, happy and motivated skyen.
Your doing an awesome job
Literally my entire D&D game is inspired by Dark Souls as a series and the concept of the hollows specifically
This interaction of the Spirit becoming sickly and necrotic gives a clue to the Tarnished, and the player, that the Urd-tree may indeed be more of a parasite or a poisonous weed feeding off the life blood of the land and its people.
So glad it's out now!
Here's my spoiler free take on the ulcerated tree spirit: they could have been pretators of the eerd tree and as it consumed the roots the tree consumed them as well. Just like the golden order the tree incorporates that it can not kill into itself. Hence why they look fleshy on the inside but are wooden on the outside and uncontrollably ooze the golden light of the 🌳 itself!
Oh well that's horrifying.
That's a really cool idea! I wonder though, why would a creature evolve to predate erdtrees, if the erdtrees automatically eat them at the same time?
@@roscora614Nature works in mysterious ways... spaghetti at a wall.
@@blackwell4701 true, maybe they evolved to eat the roots of normal trees and only started to eat erdtree roots when they got big. Or maybe the species evolved to a similar state to now when the crucible was a thing, since I think that was a similar sized tree/root thing, but when the crucible stopped existing they swapped to erdtrees because they were the only plants big enough to feed them. Who knows.
Always nice to see more elden ring 🌳
I loved the second interpretation of the Ulcerated 🌲 Spirit! I always interpreted it as a corrupted projection of what the Erd🌲 was/became with all the decline. But that is such a cool perspective. Loved every bit of it! Thanks a ton for the video!
Please don't feel bad about how long the series is taking! Your mental health is more important and I don't think anyone wants you to get burned out. I'm thrilled to hear you plan on finishing the series and will patiently for whenever is the right time for the next episode. Much love, Skyen.
That's such an interesting reading, love the various angles too! Man I've missed this series
18:23 nice, also I did a similar thing on my first playthrough. As soon as I got my first key I went back and got my ass kicked by the chariot and tree spirit. Good times
I know what it's like living with ADHD and I just wanted to say that I (and probably many of us) understand, and will happily be patient. Take the time you need. We'll be here. I love your work so much, but your health and general well-being should always come first. I'm just happy when you *do* post, regardless of the time between episodes. Remember; You're amazing and appreciated and loved. And thank you for this wonderful episode :D🌳
Dont feel bad about how long these videos take to make. They're long, well edited and well researched. Things like that take time, especially when you have something like ADHD. Its always a highlight of my day whenever a boss designs is uploaded, not just for the editing or the analysis, but for the passion you have when you play the game, or when you talk about the designs. So take as much time as you need, and never lose that spark.
Welcome back, beloved Boss Design series ❤ missed you dearly
(Small edit after the outro: please don't take this the wrong way. While I and many others love and miss the series between episodes, it's obviously completely fine to take the time you need and take care of yourself first and foremost!)
the editing on that chariot sequence is so incredible
It’s nice to see this series getting another entry, and as someone who also suffers with adhd/executive dysfunction/whatever the hell it is my bran torments itself with, I understand the pain very well. Wish I wasn’t a uni student with no income at the moment, otherwise I would absolutely give you a dono. Stay healthy and treat yourself well, Skyen 🌲🌳🌴
Yeah the catacombs and graves were clearly built before the Erdtree, as you can see cremation pots and actual graves, which make no sense since "Erdtree burial" is the funerary practice at the moment. They clearly repurposed the catacombs to fit their tree worship. I find it crazy that you figured that out instantaneously after seeing the grave for 1 second. Great catch!
Boss Analysis is what got me into your channel, so I’m always happy to see it on my feed, but it has opened me up to all your other enjoyable content.
Currently I’m very much enjoying your Baldur’s Gate videos - specifically the VoDs on Twitch.
Ah the eurobeat got me good. Such a good episode so far!
Hey, thank you for the sincerity and vulnerability you show in the end card. 🌳 Those are difficult themes to tackle, and do not worry about speed, we will wait as long as you need for the episodes. Also their quality really pays off the time
🌲Always happy to see an episode! And as Sunstone who struggles with ADHD too i completely get it, get that bag and then get back to us when you're ready! We're not going anywhere.
@13:16 I really appreciate the fade in, fade out, and small doppler effect applied to the unofficial musical theme assigned to the chariot as it gets closer or farther away from Skyen. It's the littel touches.
I've seen other comments here talking about the Chariot Deja vu, but I gotta add my 2 cents. Using Deja vu is absolutely genius, obviously any song in Initial D would be funny, but because of the sheer number of times you see the chariot makes Skyen's dedication to the bit THAT much funnier.
What I think I love the most about this series is the fact that even though it's been almost 2 years of the game coming out, and lots of people have given a lot of input on the story/worldbuilding/etc, your personal take still manages to bring something new that I personally haven't seen anyone else give. I had heard the first take about "Erdtree burial" before, and was fully onboard with it, but then you gave your second reading about it and at the beginning I disagreed, but as you elaborated further it made more and more sense to me. So now I have a new take on it thanks to yours, the one I had before, and a mix of personal viewpoints on things that pop-up later in the game. Thank you Skyen for your work, your boss designs are an insta-click for me. I'll be here to accompany throughout the journey of completing this series, however long it takes.
P.D: About the meds, as someone who's had to take brain meds in the past, yeah it takes a few weeks to get used to it. But everyday it gets slightly easier. Always prioritize your well-being over quick releases.
The last bit hits close to home. I struggle with the same thing in my life, and..."I know".
"Life happens and I do have brain problems" is something I relate to so much. It's so hard to get people to understand that. I know from personal experience that trying to adjust to treatment for severe ADHD is a journey in itself, too. I wish you the best in your own situation, too.
If this is something you want to keep doing, then hearing you setting boundaries and wanting to focus on a more manageable pace is great. Because you're right, breaks are needed! They're good! Especially in a fun, long series like this. I appreciate you opening up about it. (It reminds me that sometimes I need to slow down and go a bit easier on myself to actually be able to do things.)
Anyway, I was delighted to see this video pop up in my feed. Your analysis of the Soulsborne worlds is always so thoughtful (and hilarious at times with your funny edits). It helped make my day better. I hope your day goes well, too. Thank you and please do take care.
🌳
I've come back to this video so many times just to watch that entire chariot bit again. I'm sobbing, the editing is god-tier.
This is the exact reason why I watch Skyen, he is genuinely hilarious
There’s nothing about any of the precious videos or this one that indicated to me that you weren’t going to let this series go unfinished. Mental health and health in general is more important than anything, and I’m sure a good chunk of people will be glad you prioritized that over finishing a UA-cam series sooner rather than later. Thanks for putting so much effort into these vids 👏🎄👏
I am so fascinated about almost everything that you do. Initially I didn't watch these boss designs because I'm not particularly interested in Souls-like games, but I started watching some of your boss design shorts, and I got really hooked. Now I watch all of the Elden Ring videos you put out
I really like that your ideas come from analyzing the themes, instead of just trying to find all the "correct" lore.
Other channels are much better at the lore-dives, so I don't think I would contribute much if I tried to do the same thing :)
So Mr. Skyen I just wanted to thank you for continuing the series. Your playthrough is the reason I started playing dark souls. I was very hyped to see your perspective on the game. And now, after all this time, after watching hours of lore videos, I'm really happy I can see more your individual, unique perspective. Once again thank you. Take care of yourself.
P.S. If someone read 'hours of lore videos' and was intrested the creators I recomend are Queelag, Sinclair Lore, Tarnished Archeologist and Crunchy.
Take your time. All of us that really enjoy it we can wait for it. Anytime I see you upload an Elden Ring video I get excited and happy that you put your all in it.
These definitely don't disappoint. I'm excited for more. 🌲
I adore this series. I was very invested in the Boss Designs of Bloodborne, and I like Elden Ring a lot too. I have no doubt that you'll do this game justice and show me things I never even noticed or considered about its world. I patiently wait for these episodes because I know that you put a lot of effort into making and editing these videos along with tons of other ones. Godspeed Skyen (even is said speed ends up being more like a snail's pace).
The chariot bit had me howling lmfao! Pure perfection! Excellent analysis as always! You never fail to bring up valuable details I hadn't even thought to put together! And seriously, don't stress getting these videos out, I COMPLETELY understand how you feel. I've been trying to get myself to make lore videos about this game since last summer, and haven't even been able to finish any of the scripts I've started yet 😅 Just knowing that you're still into playing it at all is good enough to keep me waiting forever if need-be. And congrats on getting ADHD meds, too! Real lifesavers. 🌲🌳🌴
I’ll take Elden Ring content whenever you feel up to posting it, I cannot fathom the amount of work that goes into these things and the care really shows! You produce amazing content and congrats on everything you do. Cheers!
🌳Great to see you again! 🌳 The Ulcerated Tree Spirits (and the Erdtree Avatars) have always intrigued me in-game, and I enjoyed seeing your reaction and angle on them. Also, the editing continues to kick butt; the Chariot never failed to entertain me, so all that work was definitely worth it! Keep up the great work!
Chariot edit was so funny! Had me chucklin something fierce!
I'm more than happy to wait for these videos as your able to finish them Skyen! It's always a treat when I see them pop up on my feed 😁
The Bloodborne and Dark Souls series live on as my favorite explorations of the artistic designs of the bosses and characters and I'll be happy to see you give the same treatment to Elden Ring! So many cool things coming up in the Lands Between!!!
🌳🌳🌳
Hey skyen. I'm one of those assholes that always saw soulslike games as games that gamer bros played, not because they enjoyed them, but because they wanted to feel superior to those of us who weren't "gud enough". Your series made me change my mind and made me realise that these games are works of art. Your thoughtful analysis made me realise that I needed to check my biases, and I want to thank you for that.
Now to my actual point: take. All. The. Time. You. Need!
These videos are magnificent and we can tell how much care and energy you put into them. As far as I'm concerned this series can continue for several years. Quality is worth waiting for!
That we will still have the boss designs of Elden Ring to look forward to years from now... what a nice thought.
In all seriousness though, I hope people will cut you some slack because, as you said, life constantly happens. I for one never thought the series was canceled and im really grateful everytime you release one. You always have really interesting readings, insight and method of explaining things thats pretty unique in this community.
All the best with the meds and take it wasy brother.
The chariot absolutely sent me. Worth the wait.
honestly... the boss designs series got me to start from soft games, and the way you look at these games really opened my eyes to a different WAY OF LOOKING AT the game.
so, I realised, I could apply this myself as well. and didn't need to look to you for an in depth interpretation necessarily. so... while you're hacking away at the series, I'll get my fix on boss designs by turning on my own critical goggles, and getting a reading of my own.
side note: I've been diagnosed with ADD a few months back and have recently started medication as well. The fact that you keep coming back to this and not giving up on the series is absolutely inspiring to me. I can relate to that struggle for a little bit at least. Love the content, can't wait till the next one
❤🌳
12:25 I love how the music fades out, clever little touch
As someone with ADHD and with friends with ADHD I want to say that medication is something that is different for everyone. For me I don't even feel like myself without them, and I have friends who feel awful on them. Whatever way you end up leaning just know that it will stabilize and I'm happy to see you taking steps towards better mental health.
dude it's all good, honestly i always come to your channel for quality analysis and it baffles me every time you do one of those video. it's so well done and Elden ring is a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE game with lots and lots of bosses. take your time, don't overwork yourself, and take care of your mental health. What attracts me to your video is just who you are as a person and how passionate you are at understanding those types of games. I have played the game 3 times and i'm still discovering stuff about it because of you. I never saw the similarity of Nidhogg and the tree spirit before and thats awesome.
To finish your editing is awesome and your analysis are always so fascinating to watch and take time to yourself. You earned it
I honest to got love that you stay true to the bit and edit deja vu over the riding chariot, even when its far in the distance. Thats a great touch of detail
Boss Designs is what brought me here and the means by which I got my friends into your work too. You are the reason I got into fromsoft games and the reason my friends learned more about league of legends. No matter when or how you create, it’s always an occasion to celebrate. Cheers 🌴🌴
I cannot express how much I love the gag of putting Deja Vu over the chariots. It makes me smile every time
Hey Skyen! You're one of my favorite content creators, but no amount of your incredible, thoughtful content is worth YOU. Please take care of yourself and your mental health. ❤
Interaction for the interaction God!
But really, another fantastically put together video with a really interesting reading of the Erdtree and the Tree Spirits - I really look forward to seeing how your reading evolves as we progress and get more information!
Likes for the like throne!
Heck yes, always love to see this series back. Also, as a fellow ADHDer, I'm sending you all the good vibes as you learn to manage it.
God. I'm so fucking excited for this series. I feel like the open ended nature of the game could allow you to be super creative in how you set up the series. This lil mini boss let you make an episode about your Erdtree root theory.
I'm glad to hear you're steadfast in continuing the series. I feel like you're analysis of these games has great staying power
Take your time, take care of yourself. I see the Elden Ring Series as a treat. Love your channel.
I love D's design. The mixing of gold and silver is striking, and the figure he paints holding the second head is so dramatic.
On the note of tree spirits, I think it is notable that there is something fundamentally rotten within the Erd Tree, that the base of the Golden Order is rotting.
It also feels significant that the hero grave is older then the tree, because if erd tree burial was always the prefered method of honoring the dead, then the grave spaces would be built with the roots in mind. Instead, the Erd tree roots invade spaces much older, seizing the dearly departed who where once intered there.
Elden Ring is so big, is very understandable this will take a long time, I love this series and your special take on this games, take your time to create this unique series.
I won't spoil anything, but it is impressive how much youve managed to learn from boss design alone
The Elden Ring videos are always such a treat! It's not the type of video game I will ever be able to play (motion sickness issues), so I love being able to experience them through this thoughtful commentary. It doesn't matter how long it takes between videos, I will always look forward to the next one😊
🌳 loved the editing of Initial D everytime the chariot drove by. Really hope the new medication works as intended 💜
I love this series! Edit: And I'm happy to wait as long as you need to make each new update. The videos are great, but please don't torture yourself making them.
🌳 i love the interpretation of the eldentree being poisonous somehow, though my initial thought was that the treespirit was poisoned by the combined spirits of the corpses lain to rest there. That the golden order was inadvertendly poisoning that which they worship. (call-back to a theme in dark souls where ppl kill or poison that which they try to protect)
Amazing editing as always!! LOVED the Wolverine cosplay!
Hey came across your channel while back checking out bloodborne, and with a life long obsession with the elements of story, piecing together the little world details scratches something in my brain. So don't worry I'll be here waiting for another deep dive and as a fellow ADHD human I completely understand the struggles so just remember you rock and I'll see you next video
Another interesting note that you'll find when you arrive in a future area is that there was a faith that was rather fond of Snakes that became the fiercest opposition to the Erdtree *ever*. I think there's a precipice strewn with ruins where you'll find the first traces of this snake-cult.
Glad to see another video on Elden Ring! Best of luck dealing with ADHD too, we’ll be here whenever you finish Elden Ring, don’t rush yourself.
🌳
Omg the sound fading in and out on the chariot is just *chiefs kiss*
I haven't watched your content in a little while, I've just been busy, but I'm really glad you're still putting out videos. I find your voice and its cadence really familiar and comforting - and I really love your observations and commentary. Thank you!
I think the tree spirit does speak to grafting for sure - the motif is everywhere. I kind of view this as a graft in decline and I think the tree spirit is a vestige of the rootstock, the original and material tree whose roots we find literally everywhere, ulcerated by the current weird phantom tree that we see depicted as the Erdtree. I like to think the golden Erdtree is maybe the disease and the golden order, its decrepit ideological order.
Love your work, and about the post scriptum i think i talk for all of us saying that you deserve to take all the time you need for the series
the parasite reading has surprisingly good footing looking at the broader lore and character designs, especially cuz there is another boss type that also "represents" erdtrees later on and unless the game wants to be redundant it's either one or the other
That music gag was hilarious!
As a fellow ADHD haver, i sympathize greatly with the struggle of returning to things after a long time. Take all the time you need, Skyen! 🌳🎄🌲
The grafting reading on this boss seems pretty spot on since you can find two of those Godrick spiders in the same area
Speaking as somebody who is doing his own Elden Ring letsplay and several other letsplays, few of which I've actually finished. I absolutely get your feelings TBSkyen. Love your stuff, tackle it at your own pace.
(in the extremely hypothetical case that out of curiosity you check my stuff: DON'T, it's a 2nd playthrough and full of spoilers as I talk about theories from others and my own interpretations and such after a thorough first run. So even in the first few episodes I may reference something from later on, even though I try to not reveal everything to my single digit followers at once.)
@TBSkyen Congrats on the diagnosis! As a self-employed person who was diagnosed with ADHD a little over a year ago, I definitely understand the internal push to finish projects for "customers". To this day, I still have some jobs in limbo, but I also now have a better grasp of my limitations and a better plan for completing those big projects. I've also been lucky in that most of my customers have been very understanding. Not all, but most, and that's okay. You can't please everybody, but when you do good work, people tend to be patient. I've watched all of your Boss Designs series' and, you sir, consistently do good work!
Take all the time you need for this series 🌲
Excellent analysis as always. Take your time and please don't burn out. 🌲
a sign of great design is that skyen is able to guess a lot of a future a boss out of this one, another one that you find inside a tree
Caught up on these boss designs videos. Really excited to go through this journey of insight and analysis with you as it’s something I never took the time with when I played the game. 🌳
🌳 That tree spirit certainly was very excited to meet you
Started going through these when the DLC was announced, I always appreciate your perspective on the themes in From games. I also appreciate the uniqueness of getting your first impressions and more informed ones side by side.🌳
This series is always such a joy to watch. I love the way it's split up, between gameplay and analysis! 🌲
It's fully understandable that it takes time to create easy to consume content on such a broad thematic as Elden Ring especially when taken into consideration that you spend a lot of time doing many many other videos. I always enjoy seeing those videos when any pops up from time to time , really opens my mind on some stuff i would've otherwise missed and i think that i'm not alone on this. Take as much time as you need chief, we'll be waiting as long as it takes
mr skyen i am very excited to hear that the boss designs of elden ring will be finished, there's absolutely no rush for it at all and please - as someone who struggles with the same thing - enjoy the praise that people mean to give you when they comment on a series not showing up for a while. its hard, but we all love your content and i dont think anyone means to pressure you to make them any faster :) (i personally am watching a week late because i left 5000 words of an 8000 word report until 14 hours before the deadline because i couldnt find the headspace to do it)
i really love the boss design series, im very happy to see its return 🌳
Love seeing more Elden Ring content as always, and can't wait to see an eventual long coherent ramble about the world in its entirety. Also fun fact about the ulcerated spirit, it's in fact a design initially introduced in Dark Souls 3's previous iteration before the massive wave of changes into what became the final product, and even in Dark Souls 3 the themes of decay and disease perfectly align with the stagnation of the hollows place in society and the dismissive treatment by their peers.
I'm glad to see you back! I hope you take all the time you need on this and other series, however long that is. ADHD is a heck of a drug, I empathize with you there. Go easy on yourself, you definitely don't deserve self hate.
Watching the death counter go up last episode, I was hoping to see a “nice” at the funny number. I’m glad I wasn’t disappointed
great analysis as always! also the Deja vu editing was peak comedy - great job and totally worth the time it took!
Quality takes time I love the series and your analysis
Take your time and people will be here happy to see what you put out
🎄🌲🌳🌴....🌵
Interesting tidbit for those who may not know; There's a VERY similar enemy type in DS3 with the Pus of Man, and early build images included an enemy that never appeared in DS3 that looks a LOT like our ulcerated friend. Potentially a discarded enemy put to new use in ER
Always glad to see more episodes in this series. Your Boss Designs of Dark Souls II was what got me interested in playing this game and now that I've beaten my first From Software game I look forward to seeing what your interpretation of that story is. I don't mind needing to wait for more episodes. They are always worth it. 🌳
Re: the aside about alternate burial practices, I always thought the description "earned the hero's honor of Erdtree Burial" was really interesting.
If having your naked corpse tossed in a pile in a root-filled cavern was the most honorable form of burial, that suggests that, say, burial directly in the dirt at the surface is lower-status, and burial in an aboveground stone coffin might be a form of dishonor reserved for criminals.
It's notable that dotted all throughout the Lands Between are cemeteries of regularly-spaced, unmarked sarcophagi. Ruined churches often have nearby graveyards consisting of headstones planted over dirt plots, but none of the raised stone coffin cemeteries are near churches, usually off on their own in the middle of nowhere.
I love these videos. Giving me thoughts that I don't have to think myself. I finally watched through your Bloodborne series, only 2 years late, which was great because I couldn't even play up to the Cleric Beast. That I didn't miss this series by a ton of time is nice.
To avoid spoilers (as of watching this video, you haven't encountered what I have seen, but I also haven't finished the game) I feel the tree spirits are just that, spirits of the erd tree. They're physical manifestations of the holy tree, which would explain why they are literally bursting with holy energy. I think they're found in these tombs not to devour the flesh of the corpses, but to act as guard dogs for these holy sites.