The Lore of Elden Ring is Unhinged

Those with purpose are nothing if not ravenous for power. For truth. For the longest time, we believed the fate of the Lands Between was shaped by Marika's will alone. A shaman woman tormented by the Hornscent long ago. Perhaps it was that trauma which drove her to godhood to remove destined death, to live eternally, to take revenge. But now we learn that she was never alone. At her side was Metta, an incomprehensible being sent by the same greater will that would one day abandon it. So it is that a blind mother and her broken children have

steered humanity since the beginning. Thus has the lore of Elden Ring been unhinged from the start. This story is in no small part the story of Count Ymir, a Carian astrologer who looked past the moon to the lightless abyss beyond. Ymir is a DLC character, but What if I told you that he might have been depicted in the base game as well? This is the Carrion Inverted Statue. It's a key item given to you by Ranni towards the end of her questline. And the man here bears a striking resemblance to Ymir. From the pointed hat

tied with fabric under the chin, to the very patterns upon his robes. Even the crystal ball he holds could conceivably have belonged to Ymir as We see such a crystal ball at the tip of his maternal staff later in the questline. So I like to think that Ymir is the man depicted by this statue, a high-ranking sorcerer who was worthy of such depiction. Hand raised almost as if he's preaching, the lore explains that he was well known for his recitations, in particular, the beloved Stardust Talisman, Bears one such quote from Ymir: One need only envision

the romance of the stars above, with adoration for stardust in one's heart, to become a great sorcerer. Do so, and you will know love. Another link between Ymir and this statue is Preceptor Miriam, who resides in the very same study hall that the Carrion Inverted Statue unlocks. And Ymir is connected to Miriam by way of this teleportation spell. It's a signature of Ymir's that he both teaches and relies upon heavily in combat. Miriam herself was such a master of this sorcery that it came to bear the name Miriam's Vanishing. And while I stress this is

speculation, I think that Ymir favouring this spell, and looking like the statue, and the statue leading to Miriam's study hall helps to confirm that this is indeed The Lady Miriam was a Carian preceptor, one of the scholars who served as an instructor to the Carian royals. And all preceptors wore these wide-brimmed hats adorned with the constellations. They were a symbol of the Carian's ancestral connection to the ancient astrologers. But underneath this hat is another symbol upon the mask of confidence, Its mouth sewn shut with gold thread in Radagon's signature cross-stitch pattern. For when Radagon married

Rennala, he ordered the Carian Magic Preceptors to don these masks to make it clear that all their matters were to be kept strictly private. The reason I'm detailing Radagon's involvement here is because I believe Caelid might have begun To change culturally thanks to his influence and I believe Ymir might have been a part of Caria during this time Caught between the old Carian ways and Radagon's devout order To many, it might sound strange for me to suggest that the Carions might embrace faith For the Carions were known for their astrology and sorcery, right? Arts guided

by intelligence and reason Not devotion. And yet, Liurnia is home to five churches the Cathedral of Manus Celesse and a temple quarter as well. Plus, Yhmir himself holds the title High Priest a role that seems out of place in traditional Carian hierarchy unless, of course, he held that title at this crossroads in Liurnia's history. A time when reason wed with faith, a time when even a dogged turtle pope could rise to prominence. I welcome you to the Church of Vows. I would like to share my knowledge with you. Radagon once cleansed himself with celestial dew,

repented his territorial aggressions, and swore his love to Rennala. The Order of the Erdree and the fate of the moon were conjoined, and all the wounds of war forgiven. This miracle blesses the church to this day. So I think it's fair to suggest that the Leonians picked up some holy habits as a result of Radagon's influence. A figure who, notably, dedicated himself to both sorcery and incantation. Thus did the hero aspire to be complete. Whether it be sorcery or incantations, learning should not fetter you to one side or the other. So it is that a

Cathedral of the Hand was built upon the Moonlight Plateau to honor the Two Fingers, a place known as Manus Celes. Similarly, Manus Metta was erected in the land that would become the Realm of Shadow. All of this is to say, that Ymir, thanks to his status as High Priest, likely was of high standing among the Carions during the union of Rennala and Radagon. Of course, he also bore the title of Count or Lord in the original Japanese a noble title that likely placed him shoulder to shoulder with the Carion royals themselves. Indeed, he even instructed

Rennala's own sister, Ri'lhana in the Sorcerous Arts, and hence was likely chosen as a part of her entourage for the Carrion Foray into the Realm of Shadow though, of course, this presumes that Ymir wasn't just always stationed at Manus Metta back before the realm was veiled, which is always possible as well. But regardless of when he was stationed at Manus Metta, there came a time After the war, when Ymir saw fit to abandon what once defined him, his own Carian sovereignty, which he abandoned quite literally in the form of a spell that was left to

be scavenged in a dark cave below the cathedral. Ymir's relinquishing of his sovereignty may explain one of the three key differences between his attire and the attire on the Carian inverted statue. The first is the hollowed-out section of his high priest hat, a detail that's completely absent from the statue. One could take this hole in Ymir's hat as proof that Ymir is not depicted by the statue, but personally, I prefer to see the hole's later appearance as part of a narrative. An alteration to his clothing that tells a story. After all, Ymir's questline shows that

he's no stranger to altering his robes to reflect who he truly is inside. And the description of the High Priest hat reveals the nature of this alteration in particular. It states, the circular design at the top represents the Greater Will and its lightless abyss. Depicting such a void upon his hat would have been a peculiar choice for a Carrion, in those days. Thus, I reason that this alteration might have emerged later in Ymir's life, at a time when he was no longer looking to the moon, but beyond it, to the void. Indeed, Count Ymir would

go on to abandon his allegiance to the moon. To him, it was merely the closest of the celestial bodies, and nothing more. I, too, am a glintstone sorcerer. We study the stars and examine the life therein. Are you familiar with our findings? Long ago, we began as stardust, born of a great rupture far across the skies. We too are children of the greater will. Is that not divine? Is that not sublime? And yet, none can fathom its implications. Its utter brilliance. This dialogue contains one of the biggest revelations in the DLC, namely the idea that

humanity began as stardust, Borne of rupture. Borne from the void. Now, life coming from the lightless void is nothing new in Elden Ring lore. One can look to the falling star beasts as proof of that. These are stars fallen from the lightless dark that is their home. The sorcerer Azur is another example, when he looked into the primeval current, which is the oldest starry expanse. What he saw was darkness, an abyss. And yet his encounter with this void inspired Comet Azur, a spell that fires a torrent from what is described as the place thought to

be the origin of Glintstone. It's another example of something coming from nothing. And now we know from Ymir that mankind and likely the Golden Crucible upon the Earth as well, is ultimately born from the Abyss, specifically the Greater Will's Abyss. This aligns perfectly with Hyetta's dialogue regarding the Greater Will. At the end of her questline, she speaks of it and the unfathomable singularity from which it emerged. We're told that all that there is came from the One Great, which fractured and was no more. But a part of it, its Greater Will, endured. And in time,

that will made contact with the Lands Between, reaching out across the cosmos via its envoys. The first of which was MettA, the mother of fingers. The mother of all Two Fingers and Finger Creepers was in turn a magnificently gleaming daughter of the Greater Will, and the first shooting star to fall upon the Lands Between. So, Meta arrived before the other shooting stars, and since the Elden Beast also made landfall upon a star, that means there was a time, however brief, when life in the Lands Between existed without the Elden Ring a time before order. And

for some of that time, Meta was already here. I've always thought that this suggests Meta was a kind of scout, one sent to look for signs of crucible life, worthy to receive the Elden Ring. This idea aligns with what we know about the Fingers and their role as the Greater Will's envoys. We know that the Two Fingers took it upon themselves to select worthy candidates among the creatures of the Lands Between. These were the Empyreans, chosen by the fingers. And we know that fingers have been considered a sign of intelligence in this world. Intelligence that,

according to the Syncopaea, was granted. Empyreans chosen. Intelligence granted. These are words of bestowal, and I think they helped to characterize Metta and her children as well. They were the fingers that held the strings. They were the fingers that point the way. And what if they didn't just point the way for humanity? What if, long before, they had pointed the way for the ancient dragons as well? I think that's very likely, actually. We know that Placidus Axe was Elden Lord in the time before the Erdtree. Thus, the dragons had the Elden Ring, even if it

looked a bit different back then. And since the Elden Ring arrived after Methe, she must have already made landfall when the dragons were around. So if she was present in those earliest days, then it's possible, maybe even likely, that she began to shape dragon culture before the Greater Will ever took root in their society. Indeed we do see signs that the fingers were active at this time. Not so much with the dragons themselves, but certainly with the beastmen who served them. The five-fingered cinerdea dagger was given to high-ranking clergymen, and it celebrated a beast's five

fingers, which were considered symbolic of the intelligence once granted upon their kind. It all points back to Meta. You've explored Farum Azula, so you know how this ends. Their civilization was fated for ruin. I wonder how the fingers felt about the downfall of dragon civilization. Did they anticipate it? Were they complicit? Or did they just pick up the pieces after the fall? Because fall it did. Placidus Axe's god, who presumably was the vessel for the Elden Ring, fled in circumstances that we can only speculate about. about. And it's not talked about enough that there is

a mysterious God of the Dragons who just disappeared with the Elden Ring. Who was this God? Where did they go? What did they do while absent? Why did they leave? Any answers have vanished with them. But eventually, the Elden Ring would appear in history again. And when it did, it was wielded by a Numen woman, a shaman in great need, whose village stood adjacent to finger ruins Marika. Again, there's a great deal of history missing around Marika's ascent, but whether it was through force or seduction, we know this: she stood at the Hornscent's gate of

divinity, holding aloft what appeared to be golden threads of the Elder Now, I'm not sure how Marika acquired the Elden Ring after the dragons, but I bet the Fingers were involved. Remember, the Fingers withhold the benediction of the Elden Ring's Great Runes, and without this benediction, the Great Runes that you receive from the demigods are powerless. Not to mention, the Fingers take it upon themselves to be the ones who choose emperors. So all of that is to say that the Fingers clearly claim some power over the Elden Ring and power over those who wield it

as well. Clearly they were a part of Marika's reign and it's very likely that they were the ones behind the planting of the Erdtree itself. Here and perhaps in other worlds as well. Let me explain. Ring the Bells in the Finger Ruins of Raya or Deo, and you'll receive a seed talisman. The description reads, this age-old artifact also depicts the two fingers, perhaps harking back to the birth of the Erdtree. The implication here is clear. The two fingers may have had a hand in the Erdtree's creation, perhaps even offering up an Erdtree seed for planting.

And to who else, But Marika. Marika was certainly in great need of their help. Her kind had been tortured in this horn-scent pursuit of sainthood. And what better revenge than to rise as her torturer's own god? Only to betray them later. So Marika became a god vessel for the Elden Ring. But all vessels are destined to one day break. Thus, a successor would one day need to be chosen an Empyrean to claim the Elden Ring and lead a new order. Perhaps a Gloam-Eyed Queen, a Goddess of Rot, a Carian Princess? In retrospect, the two fingers

choosing from such a wildly diverse set of Empyreans to succeed Marika kind of makes perfect sense now. These are alien creatures. What do they care about the specifics of order? They don't care if there's an order of death or rot or the moon, so long as they are the ones pulling the strings, I think. But the truly unsettling thing about the fingers isn't just that they're these alien creatures dictating the future of this world. It's that They're doing it all while broken and blind. Skip ahead in Elden Ring lore, and it becomes clear something is

deeply wrong with the two fingers. Even a few characters in the base game had already begun to express this same unease. Long ago, Gideon gained true knowledge after his long exchange with the two fingers, discovering all had been broken long ago, that the trembling fingers, bent with age, and the Erdtree itself were no exception. But when were they broken? That's the question. According to Varre, it happened when the Elden Ring was shattered. He says that the two fingers were then corrupted, that their words became nothing more than rambling, senile delusions, and that their guidance for

the Tarnished became skewed. Not that they had any love for the Tarnished to begin with. So that's the simplest explanation: that the fingers were simply corrupted by the shattering of the Elden Ring, which they are tied to, after all. But there's another explanation, and it's that Methe herself might have been wounded long ago, specifically wounded by a weapon called the Fingerslayer Blade, something that is capable of harming both the Greater Will and its vassals. The Fingerslayer Blade is thus the hidden treasure of the Eternal City of Nokron, the secret weapon of a people who had

every reason to despise the Greater Will. But what is this weapon? How did it come to Could it really have wounded Methe so terribly that it affected all of her children as well? To start, we know that this weapon is born of a corpse and perhaps not just any corpse. When you defeated Radagon, the Elden Beast grasped his lifeless body and wrought it into a weapon as well the Sacred Relic Sword, a weapon I bring up now because it shares symbolic and thematic parallels with the fingerslayer blade, namely that it's a weapon born of a

god's corpse, which carries grave consequence. Indeed, thoughts on what the weapon portends are many and varied. Some consider it the mark of a great sin, or a sign of great devastation. Some think of it as the end of an age, while others the beginning. Given this quote, I quite like the theory that the Fingerslayer Blade was similarly born of a vassal god of the Elden Ring. That just as the Sacred Relic Sword was created from Radagon's corpse, perhaps the Fingerslayer Blade was similarly born of the withered god vessel of another age. Perhaps even the god

vessel that abandoned Placidus Axe. This is just speculation, But you'll note that the hilt of the Fingerslayer Blade shares a similar order pose with the sacred relic sword, tying the weapon to another age of the Greater Will and its order. So many weapons the Nox forged were mere imitations of the Greater Will's power, after all. The mimic tears were their effort to forge a Lord. The Dragonkin knew no true sky nor true lightning, and their Albinaurics were never accepted as true life forms. Thus it feels very appropriate to be comparing the Fingerslayer Blade of the

Nox to the sacred relic sword of the Elden Beast. We're never told directly why the Nox needed such a weapon though. Was it a weapon they used to strike back against the greater will that banished them underground? Or was the use of the weapon itself what got them banished underground in the first place? That might be a topic for another video. But either way, one fact there is clear: the Eternal City got their hands on this old corpse, able to slay the Fingers and put it to use, attacking the Fingers, which were a threat to

their society on account of their influence, most likely. And if I had to guess, it might have been the Fingers' ability to control others that rubbed the Nox the wrong way. We see how powerful they are during Ranni's questline by virtue of the lengths that she had to go to circumvent them, casting aside her great rune, abandoning her shadow and slaying her own corporeal flesh just so that they couldn't puppeteer her. The Nox, too, developed countermeasures to this influence. This is the Nox Mirror Helm. It's a helmet that reflects light, which is fitting given that

light is the unblockable weapon of the fingers. With this, they could continue to seek their high treason, warding off intervention of the greater will. Iji famously carries on the legacy of this helmet during Ranni's questline, as Ranni herself pursues her goal of slaying her fingers using the Nox's own Finger Slayer blade. But what's noteworthy is that the Finger Slayer blade had already been used. Its description calls it a blood drenched fetish and proof of high treason. Before the DLC, we could only speculate about which pair of two fingers the Nox had drenched in blood with

the Finger Slayer blade. But I think a more compelling theory is that they might have used the Fingerslayer Blade to attack Meta. As many in the community have pointed out, Meta does have a small gash above where she births fingers. It's certainly a convenient theory. Not only would it answer who the Nox attacked, but it might explain why Meta is broken as well. Ymir does call her damaged, after all. Do you recall what I said? That Marika and the fingers that guided her were unsound from the start? Well, the truth lies deeper still. It is

their mother who is damaged and unhinged. The fingers are but unripe children, victims in their own right. So when and how Metta was broken? Remains a matter of speculation. But it's worth noting she was not always this way. Indeed, we know from an item description that Metta was a magnificently gleaming daughter who did receive messages from the Greater Will once. This weapon fashioned from the spiraling tail fingers of Metta explains the mechanism by which she would communicate with the Greater Will. A microcosm Raised aloft over the crux that two fingers form. A microcosm is essentially

a replica of the cosmos in miniature. To bridge the vast distances between her and the Greater Will beyond, it seemed Meta used this simulacra to communicate, receiving valid signs from the Greater Will via this pocket dimension. But then she was damaged. and abandoned. And she must have felt it, for despite being broken and abandoned, she continued to wait for another message to come. Meta is now characterized by this loneliness, gazing vacantly into the beyond. Her original soundtrack reflects this, beginning with this symphony of grace that befits a magnificent daughter, which then collapses into a void

of echoing despair. The idea of this abandoned, insipid creature wandering blindly yet still pulling the strings in this world is just magnificently Lovecraftian in its concept. And speaking of Lovecraft, he's actually the author that I've been referencing with every chapter title, He was a writer of the early cosmic horror, and he famously imagined universes governed by these vast, indifferent beings. Though perhaps that description of the universe being governed by vast indifferent beings fits the greater will more than it does meta. For it's sad how little love the greater will bestows. Which makes it ironic that

Aether speaks of the romance of the stars above. He lays the blame entirely at Metta's door, when she's a victim of the Greater Will's apathy as well, though he's right that it's her actions that have set off a chain reaction. I fear that you have borne witness to the whole of it. The conceits, the hypocrisy of the world built upon the Erdtree. The follies of men, their bitter suffering. Is there no hope for redemption? The answer, sadly, is clear. There never was any hope. They were each of them defective, unhinged from the start. Marika herself

and the fingers that guided her. And this is what troubles me no matter our efforts. If the roots are rotten, then we have little recourse. Meta, a once gleaming daughter, longs for the greater will's word, but is left hanging. The two fingers born of a broken mother are left to wing it, leading upon outdated guidance, making questionable decisions and baffled when unexpected events transpire. But Marika herself builds an age on their guidance, trusting that there is a truth to their teachings, while the demigods are, in turn, left wanting for a mother as well, as are

many in the Lands Between. Your seamster, Ock, I see him crying. From time to time, I think he misses his mother. He wants someone to tell him he's beautiful. Does being born of a mother mean one behaves in such a manner? So is it a surprise that Metta's outdated guidance has ended in ruin? Funnily enough, it was a demi-human who foresaw such a fate as well. His name was Onz. Master of the star-lined sword. Let's talk about him. The demi-humans are more capable creatures than many give them credit for. While they do turn feral at

night, they are considered somewhat intelligent. And I think it says a lot that the wisest members of the Lands Between have seen fit to broker peace with them on a couple of occasions. Kenneth Hight is the most well-known example. But, historically, did you know that the sorcerers of Liurnia reached out to the demi-humans as well? They might have even been the ones responsible for the Demi-Human Queen's flair for sorcery. We know this thanks to the Demi-Human Queen's staff, which reads: A gift once given to the Demi-Humans to foster peace, it can be wielded even by

those of low intelligence. Though only fools at the Academy would sneer at such a thing. In fact, some among the demi-humans foresaw the same sort of truth that broke the minds of the best Glintstone sorcerers, so it would be foolish to disregard their intelligence entirely. We know this thanks to the Star-Lined Sword, and it reads When bestowed this weapon by their queen, the swordsmen swear to find the truth that lies at the end of the procession of stars. But Onze realized that only ruin awaited at the end of the procession. A realization that calls to

mind what the most ancient and feared Glintstone Sorcerers saw when they looked back into the primeval current. Remember, Glintstone sorcery is kind of founded on the principle that things seen can become real. So reads founding Reign of Stars. Discovered by an ancient astrologer, this glimpse of the primeval current that the astrologer saw became real, and the stars amber rained down on this land. And just like this ancient astrologer saw this night rain and made it real, I believe the spell Stars of Ruin was similarly glimpsed by Master Lusit. When Lusit briefly spied this, He beheld

the final moments of a great star cluster, and upon seeing it, he too was broken. Perhaps it's no coincidence, Lusath now languishes in a cave, very intentionally locked away, so that he cannot be a danger to anyone that might share his same ambitions. Though of course, this is a wisdom that Sellen disregards. With the bodies of masters Azure and Lusac returned, the academy can hone the primeval current so that we, fallen children of the stars, shall beam with brilliance once again. And we all know how that ends. Without restraint, humanity born of stardust is able

to regress to a graven mass, a starseed, Thus, Onze too imprisoned himself. As it was with Master Lusat, looking no further might have been wise not just for his own protection, but the protection of those around him as well. He did this to forestall ruin, after all. Nevertheless, Onze's loyal apprentice Yosh, fellow study of the starry blade, stubbornly refused to heed his master's words. and remained with him in defiance of his self-imposed seclusion for the rest of his life. So it is that Glintstone Sorcerers reveal that ruin and fracture is a mistake on a cosmic

level. Some seek the truth and can't handle it, and some outright deny it. But the truth remains all was born of fracture long ago. All that there is came from the one great. Then came fractures and births and souls. But the greater will made a mistake. Torment, despair, affliction, every sin, every curse, everyone born of the mistake. And so, what was borrowed Must be returned, melted all away with the yellow chaos flame, until all is one again. So speak the Three Fingers, who consider the Greater Will's fracture a cosmic mistake, arguing that all should be

burned back to one great void. This would be done with Frenzy Flame, which burns everything to nothing. Spirit and all. As per Miquella's needle, the Flame of Frenzy is effectively an outer god, which would make the Three Fingers its envoys. And while Meta is stated to be the mother of all two-fingers and finger creepers, there's no mention of her birthing the Three. So what are they? Well, I like to think that these fingers were sent down in this form to make a point. Two fingers plus three makes a full five-fingered hand. So the three fingers

are a message in and of themselves. It's a message that the two fingers are incomplete by nature, and that the mistake should be undone. So it is that they reach out to those who despair, No matter where they are, the swollen grape in Midra's manse is proof of one touched directly by the Three Fingers' embrace, which is proof, I think, that the Three Fingers visited the manse. And Midra himself might have even convened with them in his chamber, as if you look closely, there are burnt fingerprint marks on the ground around him. In our video

on Midra, I suggested that he might have been researching the three fingers, for underneath these orange drapes are a set of stone fingers, proof perhaps that he had begun to investigate the nearby ruins, where similar stone fingers are said to grow according to the nail stone description. This nail stone is a crafting material said to have broken off from the fingertip of one of the stone columns. The Finger Weaver's Cookbook teaches you how to use it. This cookbook, left by a determined student, proves there was indeed research being done here, and though the student's brush

with the sublime all but shattered his mind, he was left capable enough to leave these precious few words behind. These students were called Finger Weavers. And they sought to imitate the sorcery of the lamprey who guard the finger ruins creatures that resemble fingers far more than they do humans. That's because the lamprey were likely humans once, too. They might even once have been finger-weaving students of the ruins themselves, as it's the finger weaver's own cookbook that teaches you how to make the fingerprint nostrum. A dodgy elixir of those who attempted to turn their human bodies

into fingers. Ingesting it causes something to wriggle within. A key ingredient of these nostrums are finger mimics. These are light pink mushrooms resembling wizened fingers, which are known as the stillborn of the two fingers. That line has some interesting implications, since it implies that the two fingers themselves tried to have children of their own, like Meta, but failed. This might explain why the two fingers are so horribly aged. They cannot have children, nor does Meta appear to be birthing any two fingers anew. Instead, they continue to exist adjacent to their more base siblings, the finger

creepers. Also born of Meta, these creatures clearly are capable. of reproducing, following their mothers around in great herds at the Finger Ruins. They are ever so fond of their mothers at this tender age. The Finger Creepers have since spread all over the Lands Between, especially in Caelid, where they are bejeweled and favor a different kind of magic than the holy magic that seems to come naturally to them. So as a Carian descendant, it's Fitting that Rykard's domain too is home to ringed finger creepers. It's here at Mount Gelmir that we discover the ringed finger, a

weapon said to have been severed from an ancestor of the reproducing finger creepers, making it undoubtedly another of Rykard's many blasphemies. The finger creepers now linger as remnants of a mother's neglect. Metheer seems to have no love for her children. Yet some come to the finger ruins thinking that ringing the hanging bell could lead them to a mother who will embrace them. Perhaps they're not seeking meta, but Ymir instead. A true mother who will not give birth. to further Melody. I will be the true mother, and I will be the only mother. Earlier in the

video, we talked about how deeply Ymir is tied to Caria. His Carian sovereignty was important to him, making it unlikeLy that the Shadowlands had always been his home. Rather, I think Ymir came here alongside Relana, making him one of the many Carians who departed their homeland in what was considered an act of unparalleled devotion, as Relana herself followed Messmer into war. But whether he was native to these lands or not, he's now taken up residence in Manus Meta, A place guarded by marionette soldiers, dolls that are the common servants of the sorcerers in Lyonia. And

as we know, he would abandon the allegiance to the moon that so many of his compatriots held, a moment that I believe can be marked by the second of three alterations to his attire, namely that his high priest robe now features gold embroidery that decorates the the purple cloth with a jewelled ruff that sparkles like a flower wet with dew. His robe also conceals the abundance of squirming beneath, but we'll get to that later. In Elden Ring lore, dew symbolises abundance and new life. Miquella says as much in his cut dialogue, and the Albinaurics were

created from a single drop of dew, which they symbolise with their shields. So Ymir's ruff glistening with dew could symbolise his abundant potential as a mother. Or it could be a far more literal reference to an item in the game: the dew gem, which glows at night and blossoms mainly at the waterside. It's this ingredient that is essential for the finger nostrum, that medicine that finger weavers used to transform their bodies into fingers. And given the squirming beneath Ymir's robes, I'd say it's clear that he's been partaking of this dew gem nostril as well. Next,

let's talk about transhumanism. It's a familiar theme for FromSoftware, and in Elden Ring in particular, it was the Carrians who favoured such a path. Note the crystallized brains of Azur and Lusath, and the schools of Graven Mages as well. Not to mention the themes of birth and rebirth, which, again, the Carrions were entwined with. One need only look at Rennala rebirthing students with her Amber Egg, or the Albinaurics-friendly TeCarya, for proof of that. So perhaps it's not too surprising. that Ymir, a Carians, would seek not only to transcend his human form, but to do so

in order to rebirth new immaculate fingers into existence as well. Especially if this desire stems from personal trauma. Oh yes, do mind your feet around the church. You wouldn't want to hurt the little boy. There's this common community theory, not mine, that says Ymir lost a human child of his own long ago. And as the theory goes, this so broke him that he would desire to become the True Mother, treating a small finger creeper named Yuri as if it was his own surrogate child. While I do think this theory is valid, I personally think it's

more likely that Yuri is just one of the first finger creepers that Ymir managed to birth himself. However, just like the children reborn anew by Rennala, Ymir's finger creepers too are likely destined to be frail and short-lived. Imperfect beings, each and all. There's a reason Muriel calls rebirth a Forbidden Rite. So I believe that it's these flaws inherent to rebirth that led to Yuri being taken before his time. Yuri's grave, after all, is still in the graveyard while Yuri is being cradled in Ymir's arms. Proof that he's already been reborn and that he will be

again. Forgive me. I failed you. Failed to birth you whole, but it won't be long now. I will soon be a mother. I will give you new life, I assure you. You will have life. To this end, Ymir encourages the Tarnished to move fate along by ringing the hanging bells at the hallowed ruins. Is something the matter? I've given you a map to the hallowed ruin. Oh, I suppose you expect a lesson of me, do you? I know the feeling. Those with purpose are nothing if not ravenous. For power. For truth. This line could be

proof that Ymir too craves power. and truth. But apparently, he needs someone to help him achieve it. You. I only wish to be of service, to help those who fight for their purpose. I'm not mistaken, am I? I can see it in your eyes. You are a fighter, are you not? He needs a fighter, and in the words of H.P. Lovecraft, do not call up. that which you cannot put down. Wise words, considering the sounding of the hanging bells at the finger ruins will lead the Tarnished straight to MettA. The map I gave you charts

the site of a hallowed ruin. It is said that after sounding the hanging bell there, one's fate will be guided by the stars. With Radahn dead, fate has presumably returned to the night sky. But what's fascinating is that it's your fate specifically that will be guided by the stars when you ring the hanging bells. And as we know from the Finger Slayer Blade, having a fate is very important when it comes to killing fingers. So the night grows dark. And as with Master Azure, It is by beholding the abyss that the birth of many stars

shall follow. The exalted timbre of the bells has reached these ears of mine. Twice now. How very exhilarating indeed. The stars are dark tonight. But rest assured, this is no ill omen. On the contrary, I believe that this portends a Magnificent starry cascade. Now, take this, my final gift to you. May you join the glimmering stars above. That last line there is extremely curious, because in the original Japanese, Ymir doesn't say may you join the glimmering stars above. He says may you become a shining star. And because of the ambiguity that is inherent in the

Japanese, one might even be able to read this as Emir asking you to become his shining star, someone he can follow for guidance, which I think is a valid interpretation because he actually does address you as his shining star at the end of his questline, even in the English. Not to mention Yorlan, in turn considers Ymir her shining star, proving that this is a theme within the questline. That there are individuals whose fates are so significant that they're worth following. Ymir is a shining star in our eyes, the only star upon the black canvas of

the night. Our meeting with the Count taught us of the star-draped sky. We know that we cannot reach out to touch it, but we can peer up at its brilliance and heed its guidance. We will never again lose our way in the night. I have no interest in small talk. My only concerns are the concerns of Count Ymir, and you are not among them. Ah, you met Yulan. Well, I hope that she behaved, at least. The poor girl has overcome grave misfortune. Her tongue can be sharp at the best of times, but don't think that

makes her a bad person. It's no surprise her little sister too has a heart of gold. This grave misfortune began long ago, when Yolande and her sister Anna first Drew breath underground in a dark, cold jail. Specifically, they were likely born in the Bonny Jail, since that's the jail in Ymir's region where we find their armor set. Here, the Hornsent imprisoned many. And some, like the Thieves and Shaman, would have their bodies merged for the benefit of Hornsent society. Others, like the Lamentor and the Curseblades, were to be confined below permanently. We learn about a

couple of named Curseblades, Meera and Labiryth. It was during this confinement that Meera met Labiryth, and upon Meera's death, Labiryth was plunged into a devastating darkness. But now Labiryth has learned to wield the darkness, as has the Lamentor, as have Yola and Ana, with their semi-corporeal armaments cast of a bottomless black that no light can escape. The big question here for me is who gave Yola and Ana these items? The armor and shield of Night say that they were bestowed upon those born deep underground, ordaining them as sword hands of night. At first I thought

it might be the Nox who were responsible for intentionally cultivating these sword hands. Yolan and Ana were raised to become the most terrifying masters of their blades, even if the burden of the deed might have left their hearts frail and pliant. Their spirit ashes remind me of the Night Maiden and Swordstress puppets who were also sisters who also became puppets of their own volition, just like Yorlan and Anna both end up doing. So while I don't doubt that the Nox are related to the Swordhands of Night, we learn that it was actually Ymir who taught

Yorlan and Anna of the star-draped sky. Not the Nox. So I actually think that it's possible Ymir took it upon himself to ordain these sword hands of Night, and use them for his own ends. Especially since the Bonny Gaol exists within this Counts domain. What's more, the Armor of Night has a fingerprint adorning its surface. A symbol that the Nox have little to do with, but that to Ymir means everything. Did you espy something unsightly perchance? Well, put it out of your mind. This is the dialogue that you hear if you prematurely descend towards Metta,

fight Anna, and then return to talk with Ymir. Ymir is acknowledging that something is off with what you might have seen, but warning you not to look into it any further. Free yourself of any misconceptions. Lest they bring woe upon the both of us. As per her spirit ash description, Anna is Ymir's doll. We can find her true body to the northeast, secreted away atop the rise of spell machinist Rabath, a man who designed a masterwork cannon and was most likely an associate of Ymir's. Puppeteering others is a popular carrion pursuit that was likely learned

from the Nox, and Ymir continues that long-standing tradition here with Anna. Perhaps her body was secreted away by Ymir atop this rise so that Yolan wouldn't find her. And while Ymir won't give you more information on her, you can tell Yolan you were attacked by her sister, to which she says Stop. What did you just say? That carries a note of worry, subtle but telling. To me it confirms that her sister invading you is an unexpected turn of events. Though, Ymir's imprinting, his indoctrination of Yolan takes over and kind of stops her from seeing anything

wrong with her sister's appearance down there. Wait, no. Say nothing. I have one star alone, and only his words will do. But why? Why did Ymir attack you with Ana here, despite him guiding you to ring both bells and descend towards Meta? What does he stand to gain from killing you? Unfortunately, this is where the Logic of the questline becomes very difficult to pass. So here's my interpretation, and I'm sure there are other ways to interpret this, but my reasoning is that I believe Ymir tries to kill you because he might just simply no longer

need you. Ymir can ring the Last Bell himself it's right beneath him. He doesn't really want you to kill Meta either his Staff is modeled on her tail, so clearly he's been studying and emulating her all along. She does have value to him. However, what I really think Ymir wants truly is simply for fate to move forward. And if you're dead, what does it matter to him? Even if MettA is dead, it probably doesn't matter that much to him either. Plus, even if you do survive Anna's attack, Ymir has plausible deniability. He could state that

he has nothing to do with this sword hand of Night attacking you. Indeed, Anna's puppeteered corpse is hidden away. How would you know it was him? So, even though he fails, he's not that upset. He trusts in the stars at the end of the day. The final bell will still be rung, and our fates will move ever forward. So the fight with Meta begins. Here, below the Shadou tree, what look like roots of great fingers protrude through a bulwark of deep water, something the Bloodborne enjoyers will get a kick out of. And during the fight,

note this attack where Meta slams down her head to unleash a wave of energy. This is actually an attack that we can emulate once we have the head of Meta to wield for ourselves. The skill is Kowtow's Resentment. Resentment builds as the finger is forced to bow, making it explode with anger. It's an interesting piece of characterization for Meta. I interpret it as if She has an arrogance to her, an absolute refusal to bow to anything except the Greater Will, of course. Though in your fight with her, you do more than make her bow, you

make her disappear into her own microcosm, no less. She's dead. And if she's not dead, she's gone. What have you done? You've wounded Count Ymir most irreparably, such that he wishes for your death, and I must attend to the Count's concerns. Yolan's loyalty to Ymir is unbreakable, so she attacks us without even knowing what we've done to deserve it. She says that Count Ymir is wounded by us killing Metta, and that might be true in a sense. I think his mind is certainly broken. Just listen to the state of euphoria that he subsequently invades us

with: My shining star, grant me a mother's strength. It's with that line that I think Ymir's motivations are much easier to understand. Earlier, I mentioned that Ymir has dialogue that entreats us to become a shining star. And now, after killing Meta, he calls us his shining star again, asking us to grant him a mother's strength. Thus, I think he intends to take, by force from us, what we took from Meta. You do have her remembrance, after all, a remembrance you can use to craft physical aspects of her being, her gazing finger and the staff of

the Great Beyond. Look here at my fingers. I will be the true mother, and I will be the only mother. It's also worth pointing out again that Ymir is clearly quite mad at this point. point in the questline. Who knows how many nostrums he had to take for fingers to emerge from him, as they do. So if his actions don't make sense, we can't fault him too much. But if he is mad, to quote H.P. Lovecraft, it is mercy. May the gods pity the man who, in his callousness, can remain sane to the bitter end.

The tragic irony of this storyline is that Ymir actually did become a mother, but he inadvertently became more like Meta than he could ever know. Just like Meta, he is wounded. Dear Yuri. Dear fingers. Just like Meta, Ymir uses his children and sends them to their deaths. And I'm not just talking about the Finger Creepers, I'm talking about Yorlan and Anna as well. The women whose night he illuminated, and whose lives he squanders. I, Yorlan, am afraid that I... Count Ymir. Just like Meta, Ymir's microcosm is fleeting, surging in one brief burst of glory, Before

nothingness. Finally, just like Metta, Ymir had one shining star. Not the greater will, but you. And Ruin awaits. Forgive me, Yuri. Truly, I desired to be your mother. and the rest are forced to pick up the pieces. Count Emir, the stars, the sky, I see them not. The night is ever dark, I need the stars, give me Give Yolan a blinding iris of grace, and her night will be illuminated, though it was not by the shining star that she had longed for. Instead, it was by us. Oh, it blinds, as if our night simply never

was. Here, you become her shining star, and her spirit becomes yours to command. And she's even able to be reunited with her sister in this form, putting an end to their story. But give her an iris of occultation and Yolande will live on in the darkness of her birth, without a single star. in her sky forevermore. No light anywhere at all. This is the night I know. Our night. Soon we'll dive into the lore of Night Rain, which couldn't be a better follow-up video for this one. Thank you for watching.