Elden Ring lore overview: What to know before you play

Elden Ring Source: FromSoftware

FromSoftware has congenital a reputation for delivering stellar action RPGs with cryptic and unconventional means of storytelling. Instead of providing more than traditional narratives with prominent over-arching stories, this team leans heavily into their infamous non-linear approach. Titles like Nighttime Souls and Bloodborne often crave some boosted digging for players interested in unpacking the subtleties of their lore, and Elden Ring appears to exist no different in that regard.

With the release of FromSoftware's highly predictable ballsy but over a calendar month abroad, information technology felt like a great time to detail and break downwards the biggest confirmed story beats for the game so far. If you're excited or honestly even a little confused about this upcoming RPG, here's a quick Elden Band lore overview that should tell you everything y'all need to know about the game's story before playing.

The world of Elden Ring

Elden Ring Source: Bandai Namco

The mystical world of the Lands Betwixt is ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal. In this place of grace and gold, disharmonize and division, the Elden Ring, which serves as the source of the Erdtree, has been shattered. Following these critical events and the finish of the Age of the Erdtree, Marika's offspring, who reign dominantly every bit demigods, claimed the shards of the Elden Ring. Also known every bit the Great Runes, these shards offered immense strength to the children of Marika. Unfortunately, this newfound ability came at a devastating price.

Each of these demigods inherited a different power or element from the Great Runes, but this tainted strength twisted and warped every unmarried one of them in detrimental ways. Madness and ruin corrupted their once-noble identities. This mad taint ultimately led these kin to squabble amongst one another, triggering a tearing war called The Shattering. Seemingly dismayed past the actions of these individuals and the events of this state of war, the demigods were before long abandoned by the Greater Volition. However, the favor of the Greater Will now shines upon an entirely new group: The Tarnished.

Your role in Elden Ring

Elden Ring Gameplay Trailer Sprint Source: Bandai Namco

Players in Elden Band take the role of a Tarnished. These tarnished individuals and their ancestors lost their grace and, for a long time, were banished from the Lands Betwixt. Understanding the dire predicament in which this world finds itself, a lost grace is summoned from The Shattering, guiding these once-unworthy inhabitants dorsum to the very lands from which they were banished. Your adventure begins later on crossing the foggy bounding main and entering the Lands Between.

In hopes of restoring order and peace to this fractured realm, your chosen Tarnished is tasked with confronting the tainted demigods and collecting each of the Great Runes. These symbolic artifacts spell out the Gold Law of the Lands Between, and gathering them would permit our Tarnished heroes to be returned to the golden graces of the Erdtree. Ultimately, your quest is to brandish the incredible power of the Elden Ring and get an Elden Lord, simply navigating the ruins of this once-perfect world won't be easy.

The Rune of Death

Elden Ring Blades Image Source: Bandai Namco

In our most contempo story trailer for Elden Band, a mysterious four-armed witness describes how the theft of the Rune of Death introduced further chaos to the Lands Between. With the Rune of Death separated from the Elden Ring, inhabitants of this world can no longer truly dice. We see skeletons ascent from the ground subsequently defeat, and even our own chosen Tarnished is a being unable to perish. Normally the Golden Social club established by the Greater Will and Elden Ring would prohibit one from trespassing beyond life'southward bounds, but in this time of turmoil, spirits and the dead freely roam the Lands Between.

This disruption of the sacred laws of life and decease speedily bred a group called the Golden Social club Fundamentalists. These dedicated individuals piece of work desperately to enforce the old laws of the Elden Band and bring the Lands Between back to its former sense of social club. The Aureate Club of Fundamentalists can use the Golden Order in some chapters by using magical spells that keep undead enemies from coming back to life. The Rune of Death and Golden Guild of Fundamentalists will likely play a critical role in the inevitable fall of Queen Marika and her once-eternal demigod children.

Malenia the Severed and General Radahn

Elden Ring Source: FromSoftware

Ane of the most prominent figures featured in several of Elden Ring's trailers and promotional materials has been the cherry-haired Valkryie Malenia the Severed, too known every bit The Blade of Miquella. We don't understand her current motivations or why she's seemingly hostile towards our Tarnished, only she once was entangled in a fierce boxing with General Radahn during The Shattering. While no victor was crowned during their encounter, it would appear that General Radahn was somewhen defeated during this war.

The fate and function General Radahn plays in Elden Ring are shrouded further in mystery. The reveal trailer implies that the Elden Band "commands the stars," and General Radahn's title of Conquistador of the Stars heavily suggests he is a crucial figure in the complex ability struggle in the Lands Betwixt following the shattering of the Elden Ring. However, whether he notwithstanding exists equally a threat in this kingdom is unclear.

More to come

Elden Ring Source: Bandai Namco

FromSoftware has done a remarkable task presenting the world of Elden Ring so far, but like many of their previous titles, these small segments of gameplay and lore are intentionally designed to leave us with more questions than answers. Historically, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team lean heavily into not-linear storytelling through objects, context clues, and environmental details. Even after launch, it volition likely have some serious fourth dimension for community members to unpack the lore of Elden Ring fully, but hopefully, these more general themes assist paint a clearer picture of what to expect from the narrative of this feel.

With Elden Ring launching on Xbox Ane, Xbox Serial X/S, PC, and PS4/PS5 on Feb. 25, 2022, we won't have to wait also much longer for answers. Right now, information technology remains to exist seen whether Elden Ring will deliver a compelling story for players or stand firmly as one of the best RPGs on Xbox. Still, based on the precedent set by previous FromSoftware Soulslikes, in that location volition likely exist plenty to love for fans of the genre.

One band to rule them all

Elden Ring Key Art Reco

Elden Ring

Brave the Lands Between!

Elden Ring is a dream fantasy collaboration betwixt FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki and A Vocal of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin. For fans of Soulslike RPGs, this is certainly one to sentry.

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