The story of Elden Ring is extensive and complicated. Instead of countless cutscenes, directly guided dialogues, and a clear plot, you have to largely rely on yourself and piece together the fragments of the story. We at MeinMMO provide you with a brief overview of the main story.
The story of Elden Ring is steeped in betrayal, wars, and death. This mixes with the somewhat eccentric style for which the dark fantasy worlds of FromSoftware are known.
However, overall, the game world is more interested in hiding its secrets from you than in presenting everything simply. Unlike in The Witcher or Assassin’s Creed, there is no movie-like story presentation.
We are trying to summarize the backstory of Elden Ring as briefly as possible and why you do what you do. Keep in mind that many plot lines run much deeper and are further explained in the game. In this article, we have focused on the most important part.
The Lands Between and the Creation of the Elden Rings
What is the Lands Between? The game world is called the Lands Between. Where it is located and how old the Lands Between is, is not exactly known. What is certain: The Lands Between is older than the Elden Ring and the Erdtree, which rises golden into the sky. But where do these come from?
What is the Elden Ring and where does it come from? At first, we do not know. The Greater Will is responsible for the creation of the Elden Ring. It is a type of deity.
Spoilers if you want to know the exact origin already
The origin of this mysterious deity is not in the Lands Between – not even on the supposed planet where this world is set.
The Greater Will sent a “Golden Star” into the Lands Between. This star contained something that is essential for the main story of Elden Ring and out of which the Elden Ring is formed, but also represents a spoiler for the ending:
Warning, comprehensive spoiler!
With the star came the Elden Beast into the Lands Between. This is the final boss that you must confront after defeating Radagon.
This beast is the living incarnation of the Greater Will and is somewhat the vessel for the “will” of the deity.
What fell into the Lands Between with this star eventually became the Elden Ring. It was also forged from several powerful runes.
Each of these runes represents a kind of “law” that the world follows. These include concepts such as death itself, represented by the Death Rune. Thus, the ring has power over the all-determining laws that hold the Lands Between together.
The Elden Ring was kept where the roots of the Erdtree would later grow, beneath the royal capital Lyndell. The tree only came into being through the Elden Ring, and the city was built on its roots. Tradition says that life originated from the roots of this tree.
But if you have been paying attention, you will notice that this cannot be. Because life in the Lands Between already existed before the arrival of the Greater Will and the creation of the Erdtree.
The inhabitants of the Lands Between were not exactly thrilled with the takeover of the Greater Will and initially resisted.
After the creation of the Erdtree and the Elden Ring, there were numerous large conflicts. Until finally, the Two Fingers and the Golden Order, which stand for the Greater Will, were able to take control.
The Rule of the Golden Order and the Two Fingers
The Greater Will needed more than a tree and the Elden Ring to establish its power in the Lands Between. It itself cannot directly interact in physical form. This is where Queen Marika, the Eternal, and the “Two Fingers” come into play; unusual creatures that look like a giant hand with only two fingers.
The Two Fingers are the only ones capable of communicating with the Greater Will. To interpret the “words” of the mute Two Fingers, the so-called Finger Readers are necessary.
These can translate the instructions of the Greater Will through the Two Fingers and thus became mouthpieces, nearly prophets. Marika was recognized as “Empyrean.” These are beings chosen by the Two Fingers and thus by the Greater Will.
Thus, she became the bearer of the Elden Ring, a kind of goddess and earthly representative of the Greater Will. She founded the Golden Order.
Empyreans are not necessarily blessed. Throughout the game, you will encounter several of them.
The Golden Order acted ruthlessly against anyone who did not submit to the Erdtree and the Greater Will. Now began the era of the Golden Order, and the Lands Between was to receive its first Elden Lord.
The First Elden Lord and the Birth of the Demigods
Queen Marika and the Golden Order ruled ruthlessly and fought militarily against the enemies of the Erdtree.
There were four major conflicts:
- The war against the giants who possessed a flame that could burn the Erdtree.
- The war against the dragons that could kill gods with their magic.
- The war against the magical academy of Raya Lucaria with its moon queen Renalla and its brave knights, united with the scholars of magic.
- Godrick, the Storm King, rebelled against the Golden Order and sought power.
Marika needed a field commander, a king, and a prince who could enforce her will. Here came Hoarah Loux, or Godfrey, into play, the first Elden Lord of the Lands Between and also Marika’s first husband. He was able to gradually defeat all enemies.
The war against Raya Lucaria, however, was decided by Lord Radagon. He led the armies of the Golden Order against the academy, but by a miracle, the moon queen and he fell in love with each other.
Through the marriage, peace could reign between the academy and the Golden Order, at least temporarily.
Godfrey and Marika also had 3 children together, the first Demigods who you may also encounter in the game: Godwyn, Morgott, and Mogh.
Radagon and Rennala also had 3 children who are important to the story: Ranni, Radahn, and Rykard.
The Exile of the Prince, the First Tarnished, and the Destruction of the Elden Ring
The exact background is unclear, but at some point, Elden Lord Godfrey was expelled by Marika and deprived of her grace, so he was no longer favored by the Greater Will.
Marika took away Godfrey’s honor and sent the “betrayed tarnished” warrior with his followers into exile. Godfrey thus became the first Tarnished and his followers are those who had to leave the land.
Every living being that loses grace and thus is no longer accessible to signs of the Erdtree, is considered lost in the world of Elden Ring, as a living dead. Many of Godfrey’s followers also lost their grace and left the Lands Between. Until they are called back by the Erdtree, they should never return.
Marika soon found a new husband, and he was none other than Radagon, who was actually married to the moon queen Rennala. The exact background is complicated and not clear.
Radagon simply abandoned Rennala according to the tradition, leaving her devastated and broken in her library. This also led to the civil war in the academy of Raya Lucaria, as the queen showed no more interest in ruling.
Marika and Radagon had two children together during their mysterious marriage, Miquella and Malenia. Due to the circumstances of their parents, both demigods are cursed, it is said. Miquella bears the curse of eternal childhood, while Malenia bears the eternal scarlet rot within her. Both were also chosen and revered as Empyreans.
Spoilers
Whoever uncovers the secret of a statue in Leyndell learns that Radagon and Marika are the same person. It is unclear whether they were one and the same person from the beginning, or whether Radagon became Marika later. There are still some open questions to clarify. These circumstances are said to be the reason for the curses of their children.
It is also the betrayal of their mother that leads Ranni to her quest for revenge. She also stole a fragment of the Rune of Death and ordered the assassination of Marika’s son Godwyn. Rumors say that Marika herself might be behind this plot.
These events and the betrayal of Rennala led to the first death of a demigod. Godwyn, the Golden, was killed by assassins of the black blade.
Shortly after the death of her son, Marika destroyed the Elden Ring. Radagon tried in vain to repair it. Queen Marika and Radagon vanished without a trace that day, and the Erdtree has remained closed ever since.
The War of the Demigods Over the Great Runes
After the destruction of the Elden Ring, the world did not immediately collapse as one might assume. Much more time likely passed until the events in Elden Ring.
For now, a loose order remained in place, and thus the great towers were built that stand in the center of the Lands Between, around the ocean.
But Marika left a huge power vacuum, which soon fueled the war over the Great Runes. This war was called “The Shattering.” The demigods fought over the runes and seized their power. However, no new Elden Lord emerged from the conflict.
The combatants withdrew to their respective nests and each brooded over their own madness. Thus, the land vegetated for a long time until the day when you as a Tarnished regained your grace and return. It is up to you what you do with this world. Will you become the next Elden Lord or Lady? Or will you break with the order?
Here we are through with the backstory. If you want more background on Elden Ring’s story, we recommend this video from lore expert VaatiVidya, which explains many connections in more detail:
This is how the story continues: Your goal as a Tarnished is to find the necessary Great Runes and piece the Elden Ring back together. Thus, the Golden Order shall bloom again, at least if it is up to the Two Fingers.
However, you will quickly realize that none of the possible paths should be taken lightly and that your actions may affect your potential ending.
On the way to your goal, the Erdtree, you must collect several Great Runes and burn the roots to enter and take the Elden Ring for yourself. In doing so, you will also confront the mad demigods.
Or you make another choice and may be surprised by another ending. What endings there are and how they differ, we have covered in another article for you:
Elden Ring: Unlock all known endings – A save point saves you dozens of hours
