Elden Ringis FromSoftware’s magnum opus in every aspect, including its lore. With a cast of dozens of main characters and historical events spawning many generations, there are a lot of secrets to uncover in the Lands Between while you try to piece the story together. That’s not an easy task, as most of Elden Ring’s lore is scattered over hundreds of item descriptions and ever-changing dialogue lines that you can easily miss depending on your path in Elden Ring’s open world.
One playthrough is not nearly enough for lore aficionados searching for the truth about the Golden Lineage and the Outer Gods. If you wish to get every lore piece yourself, you’ll probably need to grind throughsix different endingsand dozens ofmissable NPC questlines. In short, you are expected to miss a few things in Elden Ring. That’s why we’ve listed eight obscure lore details only sharp-eyed players will find on their own.
8Liurnia Is Sinking Because The Lake Of Rot
While FromSoftware’s combat system hasprofoundly influenced the game industry in the last decade, the developer’s most unique aspect is its storytelling approach. Instead of telling everything to the players through extensive cutscenes, FromSoftware wants you to observe the world around you and realize how everything was designed to give meaning to your journey.
For example, while exploring Liurnia, it’s hard to understand what caused the whole city to sink into the waters of its shallow lakes slowly. No item description explains why Liurnia is doomed to be swallowed by the earth, but once you get to the Lake of Rot, things become clearer. In Elden Ring, rot is the essence of decaying, destroying, and corrupting everything it touches. In its turn, The Lake of Rot is where the Outer God of Rot was sealed and this dangerous substance leaks. Liurnia is located right on the top of the subterranean Lake of Rot, explaining why the rocky foundations of the city have been deteriorating as the years go by.
7Nepheli’s Lineage
One of the NPCs you cross paths with early in the game is Nepheli, the adoptive daughter of Gideon. As the leader of the Roundtable Hold and the Tarnished known as the “All-Knowing,” Gideon constantly studies the Golden Lineage. The fact he adopted Nepheli indicates the young woman is probably someone important. you may confirm that bycompleting Nepheli’s quest, which turns her into the rightful heir of Stormveil Castle.
Long before the Shattering, Stormveil was the seat of a mighty warrior known as Stormlord. Leading Leydell’s forces to expand Marika’s Golden Order, Godfrey defeated the Stormlord and claimed the castle for himself. There’s no way to know if Nepheli is a descendant of Godfrey, the Stormlord, or both. However, Nepheli’s surname is Loux, the same surname as Godfrey, who had the Hoarah Loux before becoming the First Elden Lord. In addition, Nepheli talks about the winds and the storms when claiming her throne in Stormveil.
6Falling Star Beasts Turns Into Astel
There’s a lot of evidence showing that the boss Astel is the adult version of the creature known as the Fallingstar Beast, while the Withered Astel looks like an intermediary step in its metamorphosis. The three enemies share the same color scheme, the unnerving third eye in its forehead, and a sharp pair of pincers they use to grab their enemies. Furthermore, all three enemies were inspired by different life stages of the Antlions insects.
To further validate the connection between the three creatures, it’s valid to underline that the Wing Of Astel curved sword deals extra damage to cosmic enemies. All three enemies receive more damage from this weapon, which proves they are related somehow.
5The Omen Killers Are Emotionless
While no one knows where the Omens come from, the birth of babies with horns and animal-like features causes a widespread panic in Leyndell. The Omens are seen as abominations who defy the Golden Order, reason enough for Marika to order them to be hunted down and killed.
The ethnic cleansing of the kingdom led to the creation of Omenkillers, a battalion of assassins dedicated to killing Omens. However, the Omenkillers are not as ruthless as they sound. Rollo, the first Omenkiller, created the whole order after crafting a potion to erase his emotions. Rollo knew killing Omens just for the way they looked was a horrible act, which is why he could only perform his functions when deprived of his feelings. The key to this piece of lore is in the description of the Omenkiller spirit ash.
you may acquire the Omenkiller’s spirit ash by defeating the Fell Twins in the Divine Tower of East Altus.
4Magma Wyrms Were Once Humans
One of the ways to become more powerful in the Elden Ring is to sacrifice dragon hearts in churches dedicated toDragon Communion in exchange for powerful spells. Reading the item description for these spells reveals that trying to embrace the power of dragons has unreversible consequences for humans. For instance, your eyes will become yellow and reptilian should you perform the ritual to gain spells multiple times.
The Magma Breath Incantation, specifically, warns you about the last step of this transformation. That’s because Magma Wyrms, a flightless boss you find in multiple locations, are nothing more than humans who abused the Dragon Communion until they lost their humanity and turned into monstrous lizards.
you may acquire the Magma Breath Incantation by performing Dragon Communion after defeating the Magma Wyrm close to the Seethewater Terminus site of grace in Mt. Gelmir.
Alexander is a fan-favorite NPC resembling a giant jar with arms and legs. Besides Alexander, you cross other sentient jars as enemies and NPCs. Through the power of item descriptions, you’re able to learn that these jars carry the remains of dead humans that should be taken to the Erdtree for burial. That’s also why many clay containers are next to every Minor Erdtree.
The jars become sentient because they absorb the living essence of the people inside them. That’s also why some jars are hostile, while others are peaceful, as it depends on the people they are made for. Of course, even the best jars can do disturbing things. For instance, after helping you battle Radahn, Alexander can be found on the battlefield looking for new corpses to fill his jar and heal his injuries.
The requirement to become a Potentate, a leader to peaceful Jar-people, is having smooth and silky hands. These are also good requirements to work with clay and make pottery.
2The Nox People Enslave The Giant Ants
While exploring the underground city of Noskatella, you battle riders on top of giant ants. While you might think these ants were tamed, they are being brainwashed by their riders. There’s a pink gloom on the eyes of the ants used as a mount, which you can’t see in regular ants, the first indication they are under the effect of some spell.
Furthermore, if you dismount a Nox rider, you break the spell, turning the ant against its former master. Since the ants immediately attack their rider, it’s also fair to assume these insects have a grudge against the people who enslave them.
1Morgott And Mogh Were Once Locked In The Dungeons
Despite being sons of Godrick and Marika, Morgott and Mogh grew up in the dungeons of Lyndell. While Marika wanted to cleanse the kingdom from the Omen plague, when nobles and wealthy citizens gave birth to an Omen, they preferred to hide their children away instead of sacrificing them. That also happened in the royal family, with the twin Omens being chained to contain their power and keep them in place. You can even find fragments of the magical chains used to subdue Morgott and Mogh and use them to make them stand still for a few seconds in their respective boss fights.
Morgott and Mogh responded quite differently to the trauma of growing up in the dungeons. Morgott accepted his mother’s ruling and decided he should protect Marika’s Golden Order. Mogh, on the other hand, escaped the tunnels and decided to pursue a new world order inspired by an Outer God called the Formless Mother. The twin Omens design reflects their life choices. Morgott still wears the rags he had since the sewers, ashamed of his Omen appearance. Mogh, on his turn, lets his horns grow in defiance, even when they twist and perforate his flesh.
