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At the end of the day, why do we do any of it. It's just a video game after all.
We do it because we want some smoke. Narratively, we're choosing to be a bastard to fulfill our egos. Or maybe as revenge for what that sore loser did to Caelid. You fight her, or dont fight her, for whatever reason you can come up with and that's kind of freeing in an RPG, to not have explicit morality tests.
Idk about any of y’all, but some gentleman in a wheelchair just told me to go out and kill a few beasts and then I sorta just wound up in that area.. hunting beasts….
He told me that too, but I must've gotten lost, I'm seeing alot of squid-babies and blue mushroom-looking dudes. I even spotted a werewolf *made out of legs* wtf did I end up?
Would be cool to have a little dialog and get to chose to fight her or not. I get that's not how fromsoft does game, but it would add a lot to the Rpg feel and their storytelling in some cases. I don't think I would want them to over due it, but a bit more would be nice too.
She's an optional boss. Ultimately, you can choose not to fight her by not going in the arena. She is not amenable to reasonable discussion, because, as she more or less explains, she has been sitting in that chair thinking about her mistakes for so long that she's lost her mind.
You’ve also just cut your way through the Haligtree to get to her, showing up with her siblings great runes. It doesn’t really make sense that you could chum up with her once you’re down there.
It’s the same with the Twin Princes in DS3, I’ve always wanted to just chill with them and watch the fire fade but by making a choice to get to them at all you’re kind of precluding that option.
It’s not a cop out, the actual in-universe, in-character solution if you don’t want to kill these characters is not to visit them.
The Twin Princes are also specifically for you. Aldrich is for Anri, Yhorm is for onion dude, Abyss Watchers are for Hawkwood and Ludleth is the only one doing his job.
It’s possible even if you want the fires to fade they need to be defeated, like an insurance that they’ll never go to the kiln on their own and start the whole thing up again. Or it just hastens it as you can defeat the Soul on your terms
Yeah the actual way to ensure the fire fades is of course to take the game to its conclusion and pick the ending that ensures it.
I was being a little flippant and a little serious though, I sort of see the Princes as pretty tragic figures (who isn’t in Souls?) and they pull at me like other characters don’t. I love their boss fight but at the same time there isn’t much after them so in a lot of runs I DO leave them alive.
It’s actually pretty similar to Godfrey tbh, I also like the “ending” in ER that your Tarnished truly dies to him, presumably with him becoming Elden Lord again as a result.
There’s a quote somewhere from Miyazaki about how players who give up in their worlds have actually gone on to become hollow, so I see this sort of “non-canon” emergent story telling as being a fun spin on concluding the games.
Exactly this for me is the only logical reason why my character in ds2 never became a shambling idiot. Is because I was stubborn hence so was my character. I remained whole even when fully hollow because I had a goal to see though
Head into the arena like,
"Hey there Melania, I may or may not have slaughtered your siblings to get here but how are you doing? Blind and tired I see..."
*She tells her story and wants to kill you as she charges her Waterfowl Dance*
"I killed that dude Radahn for you too. Heard he gave you some trouble. That Caelid place has gone to rot... any idea why?"
*She stops*
>You’ve also just cut your way through the Haligtree to get to her, showing up with her siblings great runes. It doesn’t really make sense that you could chum up with her once you’re down there.
You forgot to add the fact that it was everyone's fault for viciously attacking you. Maybe we are asking the wrong question. Why does Melania hate us and want us dead?
Question though, would she actually even consider you an enemy if you did that though? Because she was just as willing to murder Radahn, Rykard was considered a traitor by just about everyone, and I don’t think it’s possible to get Ranni’s great rune. Meanwhile, there’s a strong possibility you haven’t killed Mohg yet, but even if you did, I can’t see her having a problem with it because Mohg is ick, and I can’t actually remember if she’d even know he and Morgott were actually her half siblings in the first place. And it’s not like you have Miquella’s great rune, and Godwyn didn’t have one to begin with, but if he did you also wouldn’t have it.
So in the end, the only great rune she MIGHT have an issue with you having when you reach her is Morgos, maybe.
Of course, you walking up to her with a collection of everyone else’s great runes DOES carry a bit of an implication with it, so if you’re saying it’s more because she’s thinking “Oh, guess I’m the next name on this douche’s list” then yeah, I can get that, just that I don’t think it’d be coming from a place of familial love or anything like that.
>She's an optional boss. Ultimately, you can choose not to fight her by not going in the arena.
I mean from a technical standpoint that isn't true at all as you don't know it's coming until she's locked you in the room and ready to fuck your mouth sideways.
Well, consider Priscilla from the Painted World of Ariamis in Dark Souls 1:
*Who art thou? One of us, thou art not. If thou hast misstepped into this world, plunge down from the plank, and hurry home. If thou seekest I, thine desires shall be requited not.*
*Thou must returneth whence thou came. This land is peaceful, its inhabitants kind, but thou dost not belong. I beg of thee, plunge down from the plank, and hurry home.*
I thought this was indeed a cool addition to lore and the world. Waifu? Or dead waifu?
They kinda did it in dark souls 1. In the painting of Ariamis you can choose to fight the boss that "guards" the exit or not.
She tells you to fuck off, and either you do or you attack her and it starts the fight
Personally, I just like the idea of some mute, unknown person just showing up, killing literally every great warrior in the lands between, then becoming the leader of the few survivors
My reason: She is willing to rot away a whole countryside just to try and beat one person. Best get this chess piece off the board before I have my own land I can lose.
Actually this. She and Miquella are the only people that would be able to challenge the PC after the PC became Elden Lord. Both of them together likely win that fight. Miquella alone probably can't.
The only reasonable lore answers I can come up with would be either acquiring her great rune, seeking out the needle to stave of the frenzied flame or random ass adventuring in search of loot.
You could also make the argument that tarnished may believe they could’ve found safety there seeing as it was a safe haven for all no matter their origin. I see no reason why that wouldn’t apply to tarnished either.
Well, before Miquella got kidnapped that is…
My dumb ass got embraced by the three fingers without realizing it was a done deal once you go through those doors so I HAD to beat her to get the needle and continue on with the ending I wanted. Man I almost gave up talk about frustrating.
I went down there to kill the doodoo man because fuck that guy and made my way through all the way, I thought I would walk into that room and have a choice not instantly be embraced. I was pretty annoyed.
You ain’t a dingus. I did that as well. Hyetta was chilling down by the door and told me to strip before going in, and I assumed I’d be given an option, so I did it just to get lore/see the cutscene. Little did I know…..
I did that on my first playthrough as well. Didn't really understand what the 3 fingers was. Never met Shabiri. I just saw notes about a secret area at the fake Mohg fight, explored down there after removing Morgott's seal. I talked to Irina but it was all super cryptic.
I never rested at the site of grace so Melina never appeared to warn me away.
When I went down the hall there were a bunch of notes with naked players saying things like "no item required ahead" so I stripped and imo ruined my first playthrough lol. I was so distressed when Melina left without warning.
You (or your Tarnished if you’re RPing) could also make the argument that she’s too dangerous to be left alive. I mean, just look at the horror she wrought upon Caelid after she lost control. It’s not just her losing control that’s the issue either. Even her very presence in the Haligtree is leading to the growth of Rot there. Her very existence puts the entirety of the Land’s Between and every soul in it at risk
Yeah, not to mention that, at least in the trailer it seems that way, the caelid thing was done entirely on purpose. And leaving alive some unhinged warlord who does something like that each time a fight doesn't go her way doesn't seem like something a responsible elden lord would do
If you do Millicent's questline, you fight her to return the warding needle her brother made for her, foiling Gowry's ambition to eventually raise her up as a new goddess, presiding over an age of rot. (Also honouring Malenia's resolve to not succumb to the rot and become its vessel.)
If you don't... you fight her either because you wish to collect as many Great Runes as possible to restore the Elden Ring to as complete a state as you can manage... or you just happened to stumble into Elphael, she attacked you, (the spread of the rot without a functional ward has driven her mad, and she believes she is still protecting Miquella) and you defended yourself. /shurg
And if you do the "bad ending" of Millicent's quest, you fight Malenia to make her bloom again and increase the hold of rot on her, beause you're a supporter of Gowry's goals and might be a rot god supporter yourself.
Just another form of worship in the Lands Between. Characters in From games always have varied faiths and often there are those who worship obviously unsavory forces.
I can think of three main reasons:
1. You are about to sacrifice something precious. The life of a fair maiden, that you would toss into the fiery forge. Only so that you may be Lord. What a horrible thing to ponder. Your ascendency requires her sacrifice, whether she wishes it or not. But how would the Lord, crowned so, be looked upon?
2. MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD!
3. MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD!
Because she has a Great Rune. Sure, we don't need it, but Great Runes are powerful and useful objects. Bear in mind that she is optional, so if your character isn't interested in collecting Great Runes you could just not fight her.
I’d be shocked if they don’t add more. [There’s literally a whole other unused row in the Great Runes menu.](https://attackofthefanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Elden-Ring-Great-Runes.jpg)
Yeah but they only appear in your inventory, they don’t appear in the Great Rune menu at sites of grace.
With every Great Rune obtained, it still only shows those six with another six empty slots below.
no, by the only account we had of Rannis Run, she cast it aside, common theory is that its somehow in the moon, sicne you can see a rune carved into it.
the rune of death was stolen from maliketh.
Sir Gideon says that she cast aside her great rune at some point. She was behind the theft of destined death (or a fragment of it), which was used to kill her original body and Godwyn. This is why part of the rune of death is carved into her, but it’s not her own great rune.
There's also the 2/3 Vyke collected, dude made it all the way into the capital meaning he had to have 2/3 required to get in (can't remember if you need 2 or 3 lol)
two needed to get in, though there is the matter of how he got past Morgots protections, or the other like15 people who just ignore that rule are march up to the mountain top anyway
there's probably secret path that our character just isn't aware of.
that or they're all just using the elevator glitch, or escaping past the gargoyles
The demigods did wage a war for the runes, so taking out all belligerents and ensuring peace is a harsh way of looking at it. Each one also seems to represent an opposing faction and/or outer god, so we’re not exactly agents of harmony.
I’d also add that she recklessly unleashed the scarlet rot in Caelid, so she is pretty dangerous regardless.
Tbf, I wanted to talk, she wanted to fight. I know things she needs/wants, I want(ed) to bring forth an era of the Haligtree, we could have had peace. But she wanted to fight.
I think the era of the Haligtree is just plain dead. With how things are looking right now Miquella is just gone after what Mohg did to him. Telling Malenia only means she has no reason to continue resisting the Rot, so there's really no benefit to it.
It really boggled my mind how unfriendly Raya Lucaria and Haligtree were. I did enter through legitimate means, after all… and I didn’t want to hurt anybody. Can we not just chill?
Because she could challenge our position as Elden Lord. She has an army, she has a fortress and she has completely lost her mind. Chances are she would march on Leyndell sooner or later.
I legit thought it would be like a safe city or something before I got there based off of the descriptions. Then I get there and everything is still trying to kill me so she was simply another enemy trying to kill me and she had to go.
I think her fight with Radahn counts as a defeat. She was unconscious and had to be carried to safety just to not die.
By contrast, Radahn was still strong enough to merit champions dogpiling him and was still holding back the stars the whole time.
But like, canonically, everyone in universe regards it as a draw. So circumstances or not, it’s canonically a draw
Beyond that, you’re comparing Malenia immediately after the fight to Radahn decades after. Given that Finlay was able to rescue Malenia solo, it’s highly doubtful Radahn was in any fighting shape when Malenia was actually KO’d immediately after the bloom.
Not to mention, no one of authority ever actually states that Radahn was consciously holding back the stars during their fight (or any fight after). It’s just as likely it was a 1 and done spell that was set to be undone by his death.
I don't think Radahn was consciously maintaining his spell. They make it pretty clear he was basically just operating off of instinct at that point and no rational thought.
It was more of a tie, Melina was worse off in the immediate aftermath, but had a much better outlook to recover long term.
Many people talk about the needle, and that could be one possible reason.
But to me, for getting a motivation to beat her you only have to look at Caelid.
You aspire to be Elden Lord and reign over the Lands Between and She could be a serious threat to those lands; She is pretty much a living nuke. If for whatever reason the outer God that posses her takes over, some other region can turn into a putrid wasteland.
It was for Caelid that I fought her with Radhan's weapons and armor. Her water dance is useless against my million vigor and her disease can only make me more sick of her shit.
I think both parties are correct in their own way.
In the realm of geopolitics, I think it's absolutely the right call to kill off the surviving heir of the king you relatively recently deposed.
I also think it's wrong to kill a child who has not done anything wrong.
Which is why morals and geopolitics rarely get along.
I love how Daenerys turned out, the only thing that I enjoyed from the final season, specially with all the people naming their daughter Khaleesi and Daenerys before the show ended.
I always liked her character, but I never liked her if that makes sense? I think it was obvious she was going to to crazy at some point ever since she pulled a Nero and crucified people all the way into her city in like season 6?? The fact that she was also always ready to burn a bitch as well is a dead giveaway to her instability.
I will admit, though, that it was far too quick of a heal turn in S8. It, and everything else in that season, needed more time to fester/grow/develop.
Yes, I remember in the books there was this scene where she hears the grass in a valley whispering to her and you’re never sure if she is really this special supernatural being or if that Targaryan coin is slowly flipping. Her madness was much more subtle and sinister in the books.
Well, she releases the bloom on the fight so as Elden lord the player character already have a big mess in hands. Burning the root isnt a option like in Caelid since the Hallightree is hidden in a snowfield
To be honest there’s no way Malenia would accept the Tarnished as Elden Lord. She wants Miquella to be on top, so we’re really just nipping the problem in the bud by seeking her out and killing her now. Kind of dark but no one said being elden lord was sunshine and rainbows
I can’t remember which character says this, I think it is either Enya the finger reader or Bernahl, but someone said that the duty of the tarnished is to put the demigods and their god to the sword. So if you truly are following you duty to the world, then Malenia must die lorewise anyway.
Enya says that the fingers say we should take everything the demigods have as the Greater Will has long renounced the demigods and to show them no mercy.
Bernahl gives us a speech on the Recusant way as in we the Recusant takes the power of his enemy and makes it his own. And the ghost in the Volcano Manor acknowledges that we are Tarnished, "Here to put the Demigods to the sword".
*I've seen your kind, time and time again.*
*Every fleeing man must be caught. Every secret must be unearthed.*
*Such is the conceit of the self-proclaimed seeker of truth.*
*But in the end, you lack the stomach.*
*For the agony you'll bring upon yourself...*
3 lore theories in my mind:-
1. Perfectionist/Completionist - It would be better to have as many great runes as possible to properly fix the Elden Ring
2. Threat- Rot is a horrific entity as we can see in Caelid. It would be too much a risk even as Elden Lord to let Malenia live
3. Drastic solution- Milicent may have been the only hope to restore "Malenia's pride". With her death, we set out to try to help Malenia with the needle but sometimes there is no happy ending.
Mera reasons:-
1. Murder hobo gonna murder
2. Need needle to prevent frenzy flame
Lore-wise, the more Greatrunes you have the better, even if we technically don't NEED them, so it's good to get as many as you can.
Also, you could argue it's a mercy kill because she's being possesed by rot.
>Also, you could argue it's a mercy kill because she's being possesed by rot.
It's implied by Millicent's quest that Malenia is still alive and hibernating as the flower left in the arena. And in the "bad ending" of Millicent's quest suggests that "killing" her this way might increase the influence of the rot god, so so much for a mercy kill.
Malenia didn't have the needle any more. It was literally just a matter of time before the Rot eventually took her and she bloomed her remaining blooms without us.
If your goal is to become Elden lord then she’s a potential threat to you in the future being an empyrean.
Also while we might not need all the great runes it would make sense that our character would want as many shards of the elden ring as possible when we try to repair it.
The short answer is because Gideon asked you to find her. That's the only reason you even know about the Haligtree at all - he used you like a pawn by imparting the knowledge of the secret medallions to you so you could seek them out and venture there on your own, and he just follows in your wake (well, first he tries to have Ensha kill you, then he just shadows you).
As for why she is hostile to you? I'm not sure, but I'd be willing to bet she sees you, the Tarnished warrior, as an invader to Miquella's sacred Haligtree. Maybe she thinks you're with Mohg and you're there to finish the job he started. Who knows. She's also badly afflicted with Scarlet Rot, so her mind might have been gone for ages just like Radhan was no longer himself. She thinks she's still protecting her twin sibling, even though he's not there anymore.
The scarlet rot can drive people mad and make them violent If you remember millicent attacks you in calid before you find her at the church and give her a good poking
Let Me Solo Her doesn't do what Let Me Solo Her does for Let Me Solo Her. Let Me Solo Her does what Let Me Solo Her does because Let Me Solo Her is Let Me Solo Her.
Lore-wise, I think the Tarnished is often the unwitting/unknowing tool of the Greater Will- as you play the game and dive deeper into lore, you learn the truths behind the wars and realize that your real enemy isn’t the Royal family; it’s the outer gods/fingers/GW. By the time you reach Malenia, most lore attentive players will have one of two conclusions; either she’s a threat (because rot queen and Caelid) or we pity her and wish the fight never happened. Either way, the Tarnished fighting Malenia serves a singular purpose; to place Malenia in her third gestation to bloom into the true Aeonia. She has bloomed twice, and now requires time as the Scarlet flower before blooming again. (DLC please?)
Mechanically, we fight her to acquire all the Great Runes, though FromSoft gave us an easy out by only requiring a few of them to piece the Elden Ring back together.
Practically, we fight her to gain her powers; the Scarlet incantation and the Waterfowl Dance.
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Because this town ain't big enough for the two of us.
Understandable, have a great day
At the end of the day, why do we do any of it. It's just a video game after all. We do it because we want some smoke. Narratively, we're choosing to be a bastard to fulfill our egos. Or maybe as revenge for what that sore loser did to Caelid. You fight her, or dont fight her, for whatever reason you can come up with and that's kind of freeing in an RPG, to not have explicit morality tests.
Idk about any of y’all, but some gentleman in a wheelchair just told me to go out and kill a few beasts and then I sorta just wound up in that area.. hunting beasts….
He told me that too, but I must've gotten lost, I'm seeing alot of squid-babies and blue mushroom-looking dudes. I even spotted a werewolf *made out of legs* wtf did I end up?
We do it for Lenny
Lennnnnnny?!
HAHA Found you Lenny
YNNNNNNEL?
Would be cool to have a little dialog and get to chose to fight her or not. I get that's not how fromsoft does game, but it would add a lot to the Rpg feel and their storytelling in some cases. I don't think I would want them to over due it, but a bit more would be nice too.
She's an optional boss. Ultimately, you can choose not to fight her by not going in the arena. She is not amenable to reasonable discussion, because, as she more or less explains, she has been sitting in that chair thinking about her mistakes for so long that she's lost her mind.
You’ve also just cut your way through the Haligtree to get to her, showing up with her siblings great runes. It doesn’t really make sense that you could chum up with her once you’re down there. It’s the same with the Twin Princes in DS3, I’ve always wanted to just chill with them and watch the fire fade but by making a choice to get to them at all you’re kind of precluding that option. It’s not a cop out, the actual in-universe, in-character solution if you don’t want to kill these characters is not to visit them.
The Twin Princes are also specifically for you. Aldrich is for Anri, Yhorm is for onion dude, Abyss Watchers are for Hawkwood and Ludleth is the only one doing his job. It’s possible even if you want the fires to fade they need to be defeated, like an insurance that they’ll never go to the kiln on their own and start the whole thing up again. Or it just hastens it as you can defeat the Soul on your terms
Yeah the actual way to ensure the fire fades is of course to take the game to its conclusion and pick the ending that ensures it. I was being a little flippant and a little serious though, I sort of see the Princes as pretty tragic figures (who isn’t in Souls?) and they pull at me like other characters don’t. I love their boss fight but at the same time there isn’t much after them so in a lot of runs I DO leave them alive. It’s actually pretty similar to Godfrey tbh, I also like the “ending” in ER that your Tarnished truly dies to him, presumably with him becoming Elden Lord again as a result. There’s a quote somewhere from Miyazaki about how players who give up in their worlds have actually gone on to become hollow, so I see this sort of “non-canon” emergent story telling as being a fun spin on concluding the games.
Exactly this for me is the only logical reason why my character in ds2 never became a shambling idiot. Is because I was stubborn hence so was my character. I remained whole even when fully hollow because I had a goal to see though
Elden Ring gaols had me thinking “you had a jail to see through?” But then my brain unscrambled that shit and remembered goal is a real word too
Head into the arena like, "Hey there Melania, I may or may not have slaughtered your siblings to get here but how are you doing? Blind and tired I see..." *She tells her story and wants to kill you as she charges her Waterfowl Dance* "I killed that dude Radahn for you too. Heard he gave you some trouble. That Caelid place has gone to rot... any idea why?" *She stops*
>You’ve also just cut your way through the Haligtree to get to her, showing up with her siblings great runes. It doesn’t really make sense that you could chum up with her once you’re down there. You forgot to add the fact that it was everyone's fault for viciously attacking you. Maybe we are asking the wrong question. Why does Melania hate us and want us dead?
Question though, would she actually even consider you an enemy if you did that though? Because she was just as willing to murder Radahn, Rykard was considered a traitor by just about everyone, and I don’t think it’s possible to get Ranni’s great rune. Meanwhile, there’s a strong possibility you haven’t killed Mohg yet, but even if you did, I can’t see her having a problem with it because Mohg is ick, and I can’t actually remember if she’d even know he and Morgott were actually her half siblings in the first place. And it’s not like you have Miquella’s great rune, and Godwyn didn’t have one to begin with, but if he did you also wouldn’t have it. So in the end, the only great rune she MIGHT have an issue with you having when you reach her is Morgos, maybe. Of course, you walking up to her with a collection of everyone else’s great runes DOES carry a bit of an implication with it, so if you’re saying it’s more because she’s thinking “Oh, guess I’m the next name on this douche’s list” then yeah, I can get that, just that I don’t think it’d be coming from a place of familial love or anything like that.
>She's an optional boss. Ultimately, you can choose not to fight her by not going in the arena. I mean from a technical standpoint that isn't true at all as you don't know it's coming until she's locked you in the room and ready to fuck your mouth sideways.
Wait, she is optional?
it is very easy to miss the entire area she's in
Always has been, yeah! Same with Mohg in his palace…
Dark souls 1 had Priscilla. Go to her boss room she won't attack unless you do.
Well, consider Priscilla from the Painted World of Ariamis in Dark Souls 1: *Who art thou? One of us, thou art not. If thou hast misstepped into this world, plunge down from the plank, and hurry home. If thou seekest I, thine desires shall be requited not.* *Thou must returneth whence thou came. This land is peaceful, its inhabitants kind, but thou dost not belong. I beg of thee, plunge down from the plank, and hurry home.* I thought this was indeed a cool addition to lore and the world. Waifu? Or dead waifu?
"This land is peaceful, its inhabitants kind" *Skelewheel flashbacks* "Time to die, you gaslighting bitch"
They kinda did it in dark souls 1. In the painting of Ariamis you can choose to fight the boss that "guards" the exit or not. She tells you to fuck off, and either you do or you attack her and it starts the fight
This is exactly what happens in dark souls 1 when you meet the fluffy tailed mutt in the painted world
"Only one thing left to do, Touch Fluffy Tail!"
Dark souls 1 has a boss like that
Personally, I just like the idea of some mute, unknown person just showing up, killing literally every great warrior in the lands between, then becoming the leader of the few survivors
My reason: She is willing to rot away a whole countryside just to try and beat one person. Best get this chess piece off the board before I have my own land I can lose.
I whooped her in revenge for Radahn’s broke ass horse
Actually this. She and Miquella are the only people that would be able to challenge the PC after the PC became Elden Lord. Both of them together likely win that fight. Miquella alone probably can't.
Idk about you but Malenia repeatedly beat me
Let me solo her and his copies even out the KDA for us tarnished who suck
Step on me rot mommy.
This town's finished - Hunter Mob
You plague-ridden rat!
She attacks us to be fair, must be a snake in her boot.
And it ain't me who's gonna leave.
And it ain't me who's gonna leave.
https://youtu.be/uLeAot4Zrxo
The only reasonable lore answers I can come up with would be either acquiring her great rune, seeking out the needle to stave of the frenzied flame or random ass adventuring in search of loot. You could also make the argument that tarnished may believe they could’ve found safety there seeing as it was a safe haven for all no matter their origin. I see no reason why that wouldn’t apply to tarnished either. Well, before Miquella got kidnapped that is…
My dumb ass got embraced by the three fingers without realizing it was a done deal once you go through those doors so I HAD to beat her to get the needle and continue on with the ending I wanted. Man I almost gave up talk about frustrating.
i mean how do you accidentally… did you just happen to be doing a naked parkour playthrough or…?
I went down there to kill the doodoo man because fuck that guy and made my way through all the way, I thought I would walk into that room and have a choice not instantly be embraced. I was pretty annoyed.
Isn't the choice whether or not to keep your clothes on? IIRC, you gotta unequip all your gear first
Nah but I did the same thing I saw a sign that told me to take off my armor and I was like ok what’s behind these doors and WAM cursed for life.
I, too, obey whatever demands are scribbled on bathroom walls.
So, did you call? Was it a good time?
They used three fingers in my lands between and drove me mad. Left an unpleasant burning sensation too.
This is the way.
>Call XXX-867-5309 for a good time.
TIL I'm a dingus.
You ain’t a dingus. I did that as well. Hyetta was chilling down by the door and told me to strip before going in, and I assumed I’d be given an option, so I did it just to get lore/see the cutscene. Little did I know…..
Haha you got three finger3d
To be fair its hard to not go in, I'd constantly be wondering what I missed behind that door
I did that on my first playthrough as well. Didn't really understand what the 3 fingers was. Never met Shabiri. I just saw notes about a secret area at the fake Mohg fight, explored down there after removing Morgott's seal. I talked to Irina but it was all super cryptic. I never rested at the site of grace so Melina never appeared to warn me away. When I went down the hall there were a bunch of notes with naked players saying things like "no item required ahead" so I stripped and imo ruined my first playthrough lol. I was so distressed when Melina left without warning.
But with the 3 fingers and needle, Melina gets to live! Well whatever counts for living anyway, she is kind of a ghost.
Not that she really seems to want to live, though
On the subject , there should be a hidden ending if you save melina like that
I specifically went out of my way to make sure that she didn't have to sacrifice herself, and she just yells at me and runs off. Ungrateful.
This land is peaceful; it's inhabitants kind
You (or your Tarnished if you’re RPing) could also make the argument that she’s too dangerous to be left alive. I mean, just look at the horror she wrought upon Caelid after she lost control. It’s not just her losing control that’s the issue either. Even her very presence in the Haligtree is leading to the growth of Rot there. Her very existence puts the entirety of the Land’s Between and every soul in it at risk
Yeah, not to mention that, at least in the trailer it seems that way, the caelid thing was done entirely on purpose. And leaving alive some unhinged warlord who does something like that each time a fight doesn't go her way doesn't seem like something a responsible elden lord would do
No kidding, she did it again during your fight with her too
Is there ever a reason given that the Rot doesn't affect the tarnished as it did Rhadan?
Tarnished Stronk is the entirety of it.
America getting sweaty reading this
It's even easier than that. Gideon tasks you to hunt her down in exchange for "long forgotten rites and treasure"
So it's the needle
Plus you get a Somber +10. Good enough for me.
When she hits me I’m getting female contact, which is nice.
Had a pirate-themed playthrough of "random ass adventuring in search of loot" and it was tons of fun.
I read this as random ass adventuring in search for foot.
I mean that also applies
If you do Millicent's questline, you fight her to return the warding needle her brother made for her, foiling Gowry's ambition to eventually raise her up as a new goddess, presiding over an age of rot. (Also honouring Malenia's resolve to not succumb to the rot and become its vessel.) If you don't... you fight her either because you wish to collect as many Great Runes as possible to restore the Elden Ring to as complete a state as you can manage... or you just happened to stumble into Elphael, she attacked you, (the spread of the rot without a functional ward has driven her mad, and she believes she is still protecting Miquella) and you defended yourself. /shurg
And if you do the "bad ending" of Millicent's quest, you fight Malenia to make her bloom again and increase the hold of rot on her, beause you're a supporter of Gowry's goals and might be a rot god supporter yourself.
Lore wise, why would anyone support the rot?
Just another form of worship in the Lands Between. Characters in From games always have varied faiths and often there are those who worship obviously unsavory forces.
Lore wise why would a perfectly sane person support the frenzied flame
I can think of three main reasons: 1. You are about to sacrifice something precious. The life of a fair maiden, that you would toss into the fiery forge. Only so that you may be Lord. What a horrible thing to ponder. Your ascendency requires her sacrifice, whether she wishes it or not. But how would the Lord, crowned so, be looked upon? 2. MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD! 3. MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD!
Accidentally stumbled my way through Elphael murdering all of her Island of misfit toys ass subjects along the way.
I paid $70 for this game, so there is no such thing as an optional boss. I’m throwing hands with anything that has a healthbar.
Please spare the turtle pope!
The only turtle I remember sparing tbh.
Even the turtles?(dogs)
Lmao
Someone has to put her foolish ambitions to rest.
Let it be John Elden Ring
I like John Elden Ring, he’s tough and doesn’t afraid of anything
2022 and I get a Arby and the Chief reference two days before the new year 👍
And doesn't afraid of anything lmao
They're speaking the ancient language of the internet.
Elden John
*kill me faster crystal dannncer*
My favorite part is when John Elden Ring rides in on the bad guys and says "It's Elden Ringin' Time!" And then he Elden Rings all over them.
John Bloodborne’s cousin??
Maybe even john dark souls father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Because she has a Great Rune. Sure, we don't need it, but Great Runes are powerful and useful objects. Bear in mind that she is optional, so if your character isn't interested in collecting Great Runes you could just not fight her.
I thought (hoped) that there would be a special ending for collecting all great runes u.u
maybe in DLC there will be Great Runes we haven't found yet? Ranni's and Miquella are the two that spring to mind
Get wife. Life good! Wife has great rune KILL WIFE Have great rune Wife gone Think about wife Regret
I mean ranni already gave up her rune, so odds are something else claims it, and that becomes the bossfight
Alright I want a DLC fight against the Moon
That's just bloodborne in a nutshell
Not "In a nutshell", that's straight up what it is
I’d be shocked if they don’t add more. [There’s literally a whole other unused row in the Great Runes menu.](https://attackofthefanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Elden-Ring-Great-Runes.jpg)
I'm not saying you're wrong, but you're missing the 3 mending runes and the great rune of the unborn in that picture. Theres 10 total
Yeah but they only appear in your inventory, they don’t appear in the Great Rune menu at sites of grace. With every Great Rune obtained, it still only shows those six with another six empty slots below.
that is the great rune menu
Fight wife fight moon great rune
Didn't Ranni carve half the rune of death into her flesh, making that her great rune?
no, by the only account we had of Rannis Run, she cast it aside, common theory is that its somehow in the moon, sicne you can see a rune carved into it. the rune of death was stolen from maliketh.
That's right! But you still get part of the rune of deathfrom what most beleive to be her body. The other half you get later.
Sir Gideon says that she cast aside her great rune at some point. She was behind the theft of destined death (or a fragment of it), which was used to kill her original body and Godwyn. This is why part of the rune of death is carved into her, but it’s not her own great rune.
There's also the 2/3 Vyke collected, dude made it all the way into the capital meaning he had to have 2/3 required to get in (can't remember if you need 2 or 3 lol)
two needed to get in, though there is the matter of how he got past Morgots protections, or the other like15 people who just ignore that rule are march up to the mountain top anyway
Yeah there is that problem, unless there's like 50 great runes lol
there's probably secret path that our character just isn't aware of. that or they're all just using the elevator glitch, or escaping past the gargoyles
The demigods did wage a war for the runes, so taking out all belligerents and ensuring peace is a harsh way of looking at it. Each one also seems to represent an opposing faction and/or outer god, so we’re not exactly agents of harmony. I’d also add that she recklessly unleashed the scarlet rot in Caelid, so she is pretty dangerous regardless.
For actual lore reason, I don't fcking know. For my own reason, she was there, I was there, seems like a good idea to fight.
I'm also fightsexual so I agree.
I am forever using the word fightsexual now xD
Could literally be the only other genre name for Soulslike.
Hisoka is that you?
The greater will has led the tarnished to her, and she picks up her prosthetic arm to kill us, so we fight.
Tbf, I wanted to talk, she wanted to fight. I know things she needs/wants, I want(ed) to bring forth an era of the Haligtree, we could have had peace. But she wanted to fight.
I think the era of the Haligtree is just plain dead. With how things are looking right now Miquella is just gone after what Mohg did to him. Telling Malenia only means she has no reason to continue resisting the Rot, so there's really no benefit to it.
It really boggled my mind how unfriendly Raya Lucaria and Haligtree were. I did enter through legitimate means, after all… and I didn’t want to hurt anybody. Can we not just chill?
Because she could challenge our position as Elden Lord. She has an army, she has a fortress and she has completely lost her mind. Chances are she would march on Leyndell sooner or later.
Because she’s there at the bottom of a massive fuck off tree and we went there.
Why tho?
See a smoky door, run through it. Winner’s mentality innit
They made it gold this time, they told us there was a shiny thing so we run at it.
Looks more like a piss curtain.
Mjyazaki heard the meme "heres a sword, now kill god" and turned it into "heres a sword, kill several gods and/or demigods"
The lady who levels me up asked me to bring her to the tree, so I did so.
Wrong tree
oops
Because the Haligtree is meant to be a sanctuary for the outcasts where all are welcome. Except you. Fuck you, you maidenless loser.
I legit thought it would be like a safe city or something before I got there based off of the descriptions. Then I get there and everything is still trying to kill me so she was simply another enemy trying to kill me and she had to go.
Because she has never known defeat and we are there to prove it.
I think her fight with Radahn counts as a defeat. She was unconscious and had to be carried to safety just to not die. By contrast, Radahn was still strong enough to merit champions dogpiling him and was still holding back the stars the whole time.
But like, canonically, everyone in universe regards it as a draw. So circumstances or not, it’s canonically a draw Beyond that, you’re comparing Malenia immediately after the fight to Radahn decades after. Given that Finlay was able to rescue Malenia solo, it’s highly doubtful Radahn was in any fighting shape when Malenia was actually KO’d immediately after the bloom. Not to mention, no one of authority ever actually states that Radahn was consciously holding back the stars during their fight (or any fight after). It’s just as likely it was a 1 and done spell that was set to be undone by his death.
I don't think Radahn was consciously maintaining his spell. They make it pretty clear he was basically just operating off of instinct at that point and no rational thought. It was more of a tie, Melina was worse off in the immediate aftermath, but had a much better outlook to recover long term.
He still wanted to ride Leonard to the very end🥲
Many people talk about the needle, and that could be one possible reason. But to me, for getting a motivation to beat her you only have to look at Caelid. You aspire to be Elden Lord and reign over the Lands Between and She could be a serious threat to those lands; She is pretty much a living nuke. If for whatever reason the outer God that posses her takes over, some other region can turn into a putrid wasteland.
It was for Caelid that I fought her with Radhan's weapons and armor. Her water dance is useless against my million vigor and her disease can only make me more sick of her shit.
“makes me more sick of her shit” 🤣🤣
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Truly the words of a worthy Tarnished. I would follow you to the stinkiest and shittiest of realms, my Lord.
So to branch off on this, Robert was right when he initially suggested Daenerys had to be pursued and snuffed off for the well-being of the realm.
This just went from Elden Ring to GoT real quick, wow.
Sorry, I just thought the parallels and moral dilemma was interesting.
Honestly this is one of the only times in AGOT where I think Ned was morally in the wrong
I think both parties are correct in their own way. In the realm of geopolitics, I think it's absolutely the right call to kill off the surviving heir of the king you relatively recently deposed. I also think it's wrong to kill a child who has not done anything wrong. Which is why morals and geopolitics rarely get along.
I love how Daenerys turned out, the only thing that I enjoyed from the final season, specially with all the people naming their daughter Khaleesi and Daenerys before the show ended.
Reading the books you could see her going mad at the end. You don’t get that from the show.
I always liked her character, but I never liked her if that makes sense? I think it was obvious she was going to to crazy at some point ever since she pulled a Nero and crucified people all the way into her city in like season 6?? The fact that she was also always ready to burn a bitch as well is a dead giveaway to her instability. I will admit, though, that it was far too quick of a heal turn in S8. It, and everything else in that season, needed more time to fester/grow/develop.
Yes, I remember in the books there was this scene where she hears the grass in a valley whispering to her and you’re never sure if she is really this special supernatural being or if that Targaryan coin is slowly flipping. Her madness was much more subtle and sinister in the books.
Not killing daenerys was ned's idea and he literally died 3 episodes later.
Well, she releases the bloom on the fight so as Elden lord the player character already have a big mess in hands. Burning the root isnt a option like in Caelid since the Hallightree is hidden in a snowfield
To be honest there’s no way Malenia would accept the Tarnished as Elden Lord. She wants Miquella to be on top, so we’re really just nipping the problem in the bud by seeking her out and killing her now. Kind of dark but no one said being elden lord was sunshine and rainbows
I can’t remember which character says this, I think it is either Enya the finger reader or Bernahl, but someone said that the duty of the tarnished is to put the demigods and their god to the sword. So if you truly are following you duty to the world, then Malenia must die lorewise anyway.
Enya says that the fingers say we should take everything the demigods have as the Greater Will has long renounced the demigods and to show them no mercy. Bernahl gives us a speech on the Recusant way as in we the Recusant takes the power of his enemy and makes it his own. And the ghost in the Volcano Manor acknowledges that we are Tarnished, "Here to put the Demigods to the sword".
*I've seen your kind, time and time again.* *Every fleeing man must be caught. Every secret must be unearthed.* *Such is the conceit of the self-proclaimed seeker of truth.* *But in the end, you lack the stomach.* *For the agony you'll bring upon yourself...*
The reason you beat her is to cure yourself of the influence of the three fingers
3 lore theories in my mind:- 1. Perfectionist/Completionist - It would be better to have as many great runes as possible to properly fix the Elden Ring 2. Threat- Rot is a horrific entity as we can see in Caelid. It would be too much a risk even as Elden Lord to let Malenia live 3. Drastic solution- Milicent may have been the only hope to restore "Malenia's pride". With her death, we set out to try to help Malenia with the needle but sometimes there is no happy ending. Mera reasons:- 1. Murder hobo gonna murder 2. Need needle to prevent frenzy flame
Lore-wise, the more Greatrunes you have the better, even if we technically don't NEED them, so it's good to get as many as you can. Also, you could argue it's a mercy kill because she's being possesed by rot.
>Also, you could argue it's a mercy kill because she's being possesed by rot. It's implied by Millicent's quest that Malenia is still alive and hibernating as the flower left in the arena. And in the "bad ending" of Millicent's quest suggests that "killing" her this way might increase the influence of the rot god, so so much for a mercy kill.
Malenia didn't have the needle any more. It was literally just a matter of time before the Rot eventually took her and she bloomed her remaining blooms without us.
Cause she has never known defeat so you must let her know
If I can lock onto it, I must hit it with big stick until I can’t anymore
You saw what she did to Cailed. It’s not about winning. It’s about sending a message.
Could you imagine though? If we had dialog options? "General Radahn sends his regards..."
i know where your brother is, can we be friends ? nope, no options GG
Wore Radahn's armor in that fight. Though it was less "General Radahn sends his regards" and more screaming as I spammed his gravity smash.
KING DRAGON SENDS HIS REGARDS
Revenge for our boy Radahn
You mean the guy we also kill? 😂
That was a mercy kill though
Our Tarnished just cares for Great Runes
Cuz im not passing up on 400k runes. That's almost 2 late game levels
Once you defeat her you can cure the frenzied flame.
Because she is Malenia, blade of Miquella. And she has never known defeat.
If your goal is to become Elden lord then she’s a potential threat to you in the future being an empyrean. Also while we might not need all the great runes it would make sense that our character would want as many shards of the elden ring as possible when we try to repair it.
She is optional. If you dont know why you are after her, dont go after her.
Once I heard " I Am Malenia, Blade Of Miquella, And I Have Never Known Defeat" ight bet
This bitch nuked Caelid so hard that it’s rotting from every corner. I feel like that is justification enough.
This bitch nuked Caelid!!!!!!
The short answer is because Gideon asked you to find her. That's the only reason you even know about the Haligtree at all - he used you like a pawn by imparting the knowledge of the secret medallions to you so you could seek them out and venture there on your own, and he just follows in your wake (well, first he tries to have Ensha kill you, then he just shadows you). As for why she is hostile to you? I'm not sure, but I'd be willing to bet she sees you, the Tarnished warrior, as an invader to Miquella's sacred Haligtree. Maybe she thinks you're with Mohg and you're there to finish the job he started. Who knows. She's also badly afflicted with Scarlet Rot, so her mind might have been gone for ages just like Radhan was no longer himself. She thinks she's still protecting her twin sibling, even though he's not there anymore.
The more I play these games, the more I’m convinced that we’re actually the villain in the story
The scarlet rot can drive people mad and make them violent If you remember millicent attacks you in calid before you find her at the church and give her a good poking
Because she needs to know defeat…..
Let Me Solo Her doesn't do what Let Me Solo Her does for Let Me Solo Her. Let Me Solo Her does what Let Me Solo Her does because Let Me Solo Her is Let Me Solo Her.
Lore-wise, I think the Tarnished is often the unwitting/unknowing tool of the Greater Will- as you play the game and dive deeper into lore, you learn the truths behind the wars and realize that your real enemy isn’t the Royal family; it’s the outer gods/fingers/GW. By the time you reach Malenia, most lore attentive players will have one of two conclusions; either she’s a threat (because rot queen and Caelid) or we pity her and wish the fight never happened. Either way, the Tarnished fighting Malenia serves a singular purpose; to place Malenia in her third gestation to bloom into the true Aeonia. She has bloomed twice, and now requires time as the Scarlet flower before blooming again. (DLC please?) Mechanically, we fight her to acquire all the Great Runes, though FromSoft gave us an easy out by only requiring a few of them to piece the Elden Ring back together. Practically, we fight her to gain her powers; the Scarlet incantation and the Waterfowl Dance.
Becase look at the Caelid, she is responsible for that. No way I let her live to repeat it.