It's been a little over a year since Elden Ring took over the gaming world, but its impact on fans hasn't abated yet. It's probably as strong as ever, thanks to Fromsoft finally announcing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at the end of February. Certainly the idea of enjoyingmore fantastic locations and bossesit's a big part of the excitement, but one could argue that the implications of lore are even bigger. Elden Ring is packed with fascinating lore, and much of it requires further elucidation. It seems likely that the next story will focus on Miquella the Immaculate, so here are a few points about him (and a few others) that we hope will finally clear up.
miquella's flight
The son of Radagon and Queen Marika, Miquella and Malenia were born cursed. Malenia's curse would always be plagued by Crimson Blight, possibly destined to become the "God of Blight" after blooming as the Scarlet Flower three times. As for Miquella, he was cursed to eternal youth in the body of a child. Of course, this situation did not sit well with him, and the failure of the Golden Order to cure his and Malenia's ailments led him to create the Haligtree and pure gold.
However, at the time of the events of the Elden Ring, all of Miquella's efforts have yet to yield the results she sought. She is still sleeping; the Haligtree is a shadow of her former self, and Malenia's rot has never healed. Assuming Shadow of the Erdtree is set in Miquella's dream, it's an excellent opportunity to learn more about everything from Miquella's opinion to the nature of the curse itself. I hope it is an opportunity that Fromsoft takes advantage of.
miquella's case
As fans know, we don't actually meet Miquella in Elden Ring when she integrated into her Haligtree long ago in hopes of finally becoming an adult form. We also know that this plan didn't work either, thank you.Mohg, Lord of the Bloodkidnapped him (Cocoon and all) from Haligtree before the trial was complete. Lord Gideon Ofnir confirms that this did not kill Miquella, but we still don't know what effect this and the destruction of her cocoon had on him.
Miquella's time in the pod seemed to be taking a toll on her body, as evidenced by the long arm sticking out of her. She might still be able to fulfill her purpose now that Mohg is no longer interfering. Perhaps interacting with Miquella in her dream could be the key to her recovery and getting the young Empyrean's plan back on track. Or maybe there is no way to save it. However, a solution to the whole cocoon situation would be desirable.
oro sin alear
Despite its importance to many of the more powerful characters in the Lands Between, little is known about Unalloyed Gold. What the players hear comes down to two things: that it is Miquella's creation to help Malenia against her rot, and that she is able to prevent outside gods from interfering. Everything else is derivative, which means there's plenty of room for expansion.
It is still unknown what exactly unalloyed gold is. It has been speculated that it is not simply pure gold, but gold imbued with or created entirely by Miquella's power. Some say this isn't even literal gold, but a product of the Empyrean's intrusion into the fabric of reality. The extent of his power is also unclear. He has shown the ability to stop Scarlet's progression on characters like Millicent, and is also able (under very specific circumstances) to stop the Flame Frenzy from taking over The Tarnished.
However, he was unable to help Miquella, and Melina apparently still considers the Tainted unfit for her purposes, even after using the Unalloyed Golden Needle. The bottom line is that pure gold has its limitations, but the what and why of all this is still largely unknown. So yeah, it would be great to learn more about it from the maker of it.
shadows and empyreans
Another aspect of the Elden Ring lore that is still very vague has to do with the nature of the empyreans and their shadows. It is well known that empyreans must be born from a god, but that alone is not enough. Only Malenia, Miquella, and Ranni are empyrean, while Radahn, Rykard, Godwyn, Mohg, and Morgott are demigod only. Since in Shadow of the Erdtree players will (hopefully) be able to talk to another Empyrean, someone who also doesn't like the Golden Order, this would be a great opportunity to learn more about what exactly makes someone an Empyrean.
Then there are the shadows. Players are informed that the Shadows are minions given to the Empyreans to help them impose their will on the world. However, even if these servants are loyal, if they act against the will of their two fingers, they will be forced to go berserk and try to kill their master. Its inconsistencies with that, however.
for oneRani, una bruxahe tells Tainted that she organized the Night of the Black Knives to kill his body and escape his destiny as an Empyrean. However, her shadow, Blaidd, still served her loyally and was apparently still connected to her Two Fingers. It wasn't until she confronted her that Blaidd freaked out. Furthermore, Marika openly defied the Fingers and the Great Will by breaking the Elden Ring, but her shadow, Maliliketh, still served her faithfully until she faced the Tainted. Why didn't she get scared? There are more celestial bodies and shadows than have been revealed thus far, and the title "Shadow of the Erdtree" implies just that. This is something that needs further exploration.
Who is Melina?
This particular thread has likely lost its connection to this upcoming DLC, but the nature of who/what Melina really is and why she had to do what she did remains one of the most burning questions Elden Ring leaves players. She seems to be completely unknown to all but Torrent (and possibly Ranni), and there doesn't seem to be anything about her in the lore either. It is speculated that she has a connection to the Ranni due to the way her closed eyes align, and many also believe it is due to her ability to read the Queen's echoes and her purpose as a "stick". ". She is also in a relationship with Reina Marika. to burn the tree from the ground.
There's also his relationship with Destined Death, which he promises to the Tarnished if they become Lord of Frenzied Flame. This has led some to speculate that she is, in fact, the "Queen of Gloam Eyes" who was herself and Empyrean, wielding Predestined Death over her Godslayer Greatsword. She was also in charge of the Godskin Apostles. Eventually, Maliketh defeated her and her power of the Fate of Death was sealed, but her true fate is still unknown.
Going back to Melina's relationship with torrent, it's possible that she also knows Miquella since he rides torrent in the promo art for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. This could mean that Miquella was the torrent master beforethe spirit steedHe went to Melina's service. If so, and considering that Miquella was (and probably still is) against the Golden Order, she has reason to look for a defeated opponent of that Order. So yes, this is a topic that can (and should) be addressed in the DLC, either through foreknowledge or directly. Let's go Fromsoft! We have to know!
Fromsoft has always liked to keep its stories vague and open to fan interpretation, and that's about it.worked for the benefit of their games.This helped capture the imagination and maintain everyone's fascination with those worlds years later. That said, it's always good to have some solid facts to work with, otherwise there's little to do. Miquella, Melina, and the workings of the Golden Order are some of the most enigmatic parts of Elden Ring lore right now, so learning new information about them is more than welcome. No matter what Fromsoft chooses to explore in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, it will almost certainly set everyone back.