The Lore of Elden Ring is Rotten

The Scarlet Rot is one of the deadliest things in the Lands Between. For it has no real cure, and famously, even the demigods could not stave off its effects. I guess no one told them about Preserving Boluses, huh? Anyway, what's really interesting about the Scarlet Rot is that it's actually a very old legend, one that predates Malenia and all of the horrors found in Caelid. And so to understand where it all began, we have to go below to the Lake of Rot, where we can find a few item descriptions that speak of this time. For

example, here in the southeastern corner, we can loot a crown of mushrooms that forms this towering headpiece, and it reads "Long ago, Great lords served the Scarlet Rot. Perhaps such fungal bodies served as their crowns." And the rest of this set is made up of the mushrooms that which are considered "holy vestments. For those enraptured by the Scarlet Rot that roots them to the earth." So already we have this hierarchy of mushroom lords that served the Scarlet Rot back then as well as worshippers who venerated it. And you might think it's strange that these beings

might worship or serve a sickness, but the Scarlet Rot is so much more than that, because the Scarlet Rot is no mere disease. No. For proof of that. One only need look at the Crystalian. Crystalian inorganic beings. And yet they can be afflicted by the rot just like any other. There's even some Crystalians that are infused with rot and can spread it to others as well, because it's not really just a disease. Instead, the map for the Lake of Rot calls it the "divine essence of an outer god." something that was sealed away long ago

in this underground world. And if you've been following Elden Ring lore for any length of time, you should be no stranger to the concept of an outer god. They are these indeterminable, abstract beings that impress an order or a will upon the world through their avatars, their servants and their vessels. And in the case of the Scarlet Rot, its order is one of decay, where beings are put into a progressing state of death with the intent to achieve this glorious rebirth that will follow that process. The Poison Armament description tells us this, saying that "those

who dwell within poison know rot or too well The death that begets life that comes to all equally." That is to say it is the cycle of rebirth put into practice. A great example of this is Miquella's Haligtree, which might be completely dead were it not for the fungal growths that have sprouted upon the tree. And of course, we also see this in Caelid, where Flowers of the Rot are on the very precipice of budding despite all the decay. Of course, it's debatable whether this type of life is even desirable at all. But you can't

argue that it is life, and the agents of the Rot God certainly find it desirable. So they do their utmost to spark this sacred cycle of rebirth in others, infecting them with poison and rot, and putting this cycle of rebirth into practice. On that note, there is one extremely curious item that you can find down in the Grand Cloister, and it's called the Scorpion's Stinger. This is a dagger that's glistening with Scarlet Rot, and it's called a ceremonial tool, which I think means that any ceremony that used this dagger would have been a ceremony to

stab And infect, another being with the Scarlet Rot, it would have been a ceremony of spreading their treasured affliction to others. But what's really interesting about this dagger is that it's fashioned from a great scorpion's tail. And it's also specifically said to have been crafted from the relic of a sealed outer god. And when you consider that phrasing, it makes you realize that it's saying that this dagger was fashioned from a relic of the Rot God, who was also a great scorpion. That's what it sounds like it's saying, Anyway. I mean, many historical relics in

our history are often the physical remains of deceased saints or holy persons. So the God of Rot might really be, or at least might have manifested as a great scorpion. So I guess the scorpion stinger is kind of like the eye of the Fell God or the Three Fingers of Frenzy or the whole winged thing that Death has going on. It's a small remaining hint at the visual identity of these ephemeral outer gods that is intended to stimulate the imagination, even if we never truly find out what these outer gods look like and whatever rot

truly is, it and its Scarlet Rot essence was eventually conquered or sealed, At least. this was done by a legendary figure known as the Blind Swordsman. As the story goes, the blind swordsman was favored by a fairy called the Dancer in Blue. The fairy bestowed upon them a flowing, curved sword, which was patterned after flowing water. And with this sword, the blind swordsman sealed away an ancient god, a god that was rot itself. There's quite a bit to unpack in these descriptions. First, who or what was the fairy called the Blue Dancer? Well, I think

that the Warriors blue cloth set gives us a clue. It reveals that the blue color of its fabric "symbolizes brisk waters." And the cloth told that represents the blue dancer is styled to look just like water. The description goes on to say that "just as still waters turned foul. Stagnation leads to decay." So warriors must remain ever drifting. It's essentially saying that flowing water is the very antithesis to rot, which thrives in stagnant water. And I think and this is just speculation, but I think that the blue fairy might essentially be a sort of river

spirit. If you've ever seen Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, then you might know what type of being I'm talking about. in that movie, Just quickly, a stinking sludge monster comes to the bathhouse where it is eventually revealed that it's actually a river spirit whose river was bogged down and corrupted by pollution. But once his waters are unblocked, the river's spirit is restored. And Elden Ring, by comparison, does also have two legendary rivers called the Siofra and the Ainsel, which just so happened to flow underground next to, and around, the Scarlet Rot that was eventually sealed all

that time ago. So I don't think that it's a stretch to think that the Blue Fairy might have occupied or might have been a supernatural extension of those underground rivers. I think it's a fun theory, and I think it helps to explain the Blue Fairies relationship with water and why it might be a natural enemy of the Rot God. So the Blue Fairy gave the blind swordsman a flowing sword and he fought with the power of flowing water to seal away the Rot God. But what's unclear here is how exactly the Scarlet Rot God was

sealed away by the blind swordsman. Did he, you know, sword in hand, battle a great scorpion boss in one on one combat and just seal its essence away? Or was their battle more of an abstract one where the eternal city dams were built and rivers were rerouted to encircle the rot and contain it underground or something like that. These details are left to your imagination, but one way or another, the Scarlet Rot God was sealed away, but it was not defeated. And eventually it would return. And this time it would do so in an empyrean

vessel corrupting Malenia, a demigod at the very moment of her birth. Like her brother Miquella, Malenia was born an empyrean. Empyrean, meaning she was essentially a valid candidate to replace Queen Marika as a god. And as such it seems she was a ripe candidate for an outer god's meddling, and it's unclear how the Rot God afflicted Malenia as soon as she was born. But it did. And that's a shame because Malenia's great rune does state that it should have been the most sacred great rune of them all, were it not for what I assume was

the Rot God's meddling. And speaking of great runes, in the sister video to this one, we talk about how Miquella was essentially the flip side to Malenia in many ways, especially in cut content, where the twins were "born of an inseparable fate and said to hold the ruins of both abundance and decay between" them and to reflect this duality, It seems, Miquella is in this constant state of overflowing abundance. While Malenia was in this constant state of overflowing death, essentially we sort of see this tragedy unfolding in a few statues of Malenia. Since you can

see back then she did actually have all her limbs once upon a time until the rot continued to take hold, moving her inexorably towards her inevitable death and rebirth as well. And that must have felt inevitable for it seems like in these early days there were few known ways to ward off the rot. Fire was probably the obvious one. And then there was also the act of consecration, which was used, which is essentially the act of declaring something is sacred, which was done to the weaponry of Malenia and her knights. And apparently it helped their

armaments at least to resist the rot. But their flesh was still susceptible. Malenia's knights were therefore called the Cleanrot Knights, and they vowed to fight alongside Malenia, despite the inevitable, if gradual putrefaction of their flesh. And it was this fact that made these warriors so fierce, for they had basically already accepted their terrible fate. And so logically they had nothing else to lose in battle. These knights were bestowed the winged sword insignia given only to those who fought alongside Malenia, the Severed. Interestingly, this is the only item that gives Malenia the title "the severed." And

I assume that it's referencing a time where Malenia was known for her prowess despite her fragmented body, as it's called in the Japanese. And I guess it's possible that she wasn't yet known as the Blade of Miquella at the time, though that's just my own speculation. At any rate, Malenia Blade of Miquella is her most common title and it's easy to see why she would dedicate herself to her brother so fully, for her brother was so dismayed by her condition that he dedicated himself to finding a treatment for the rot. And this search for a

cure dramatically affected Miquella's world view. For instance, he was formerly a faithful fundamentalist of the Golden Order with all the magic to boot. But he would abandon those practices as they could do nothing to treat his sisters accursed rot. Instead, he pursued a path of unalloyed gold, and he crafted for Malenia a needle that could be inserted into her flesh, granting relief from the rot and preventing the progression of the rotting sickness. If you're interested in why unalloyed Gold was able to do this and work that way, then I'd recommend you check out this video

afterwards, which talks at length about Miquella. But we learn about the needles specific effects in-game when we give it to a character called Millicent, who is also suffering from the Scarlet Rot. Millicent is this great parallel to Malenia that teaches us so much about what Malenia might have felt or experienced. So Millicent, too, has lost a limb, and she is also losing her memories. And when we find her, she is unable to even move. But as soon as we give her the needle, she's able to function and fight once more. Therefore, it's fair to assume

that similar benefits were conferred upon Malenia when her brother gave her the needle. It's also worth noting that the multiple needles that we find in game, they aren't finished. Even the final version of this needle can only be used in the storm beyond time at Farum Azula, where it allows you to cheat fate essentially. And that makes sense here because you're outside of time in this place. So maybe you can prevent these afflictions from the outer gods before they even happen. So perhaps if Miquella had been able to imbue his needle with some time warping

capabilities, he could have eventually undone the effects of the Rot God entirely. But again, the needle was unfortunately never finished. The needle isn't all that Miquella created with unalloyed gold. He also crafted for his sister a prosthetic arm, leg, helmet and armor of unalloyed gold, which, again, like Millicent, surely allowed her to overcome her one-armed shortcoming and reach for newer heights as a fighter. So Malenia's prospects were already looking up. But things didn't end there for Malenia would go on to meet a man who would become her mentor, and he would give her this final

invaluable tool that could be employed against the Scarlet Rot. We see their meeting play out on this image of the prosthesis wearer heirloom, which depicts a scene from a heroic tale. You can even see Malenia's prosthetic arm and leg in this image if you look closely, which is why I assumed that this meeting took place after Miquella's intervention with all of the unalloyed gold prosthetics. So her mentor was, as you might have guessed, the blind swordsman, the man who first sealed away the rot all those years ago. The very same. And after encountering her mentor

and his flowing blade, she gained wings of unparalleled strength. This meeting says a lot about the blind swordsman. He must have known that Malenia was basically inhabited by his ancient enemy, and yet he doesn't attempt to kill her here. Instead, he takes her under his wing and teaches her the techniques that he himself once used to curtail the rot in the first place. It's a pretty wise thing to do, and perhaps we shouldn't expect any less from someone who was able to defeat an outer god in the first place. So this is why the skill

on Malenia's blade is called the Waterfowl Dance. This is why Malenia recovers health by attacking during her boss fight, by moving relentlessly like flowing water, the damage of the rot was offset and Malenia was able to achieve unparalleled strength and to maintain her pride. And it was that same pride that she would abandon in her fight with Radahn. Radahn was born of Queen Rennala, who was the Queen of Caria and King consort Radagon, who was previously a great champion of the Erdtree. Thus was the order of the moon and the Erdtree conjoined and while Radahn

was a true Carian and certainly proficient in the art of sorcery, we can see in his character an inclination towards another path, an aspiration to be like Godfrey, for example, who was the first Elden Lord and also his father, Radagon, who would become the second Elden Lord. Caria was, after all, a largely matriarchal society, meaning that power was passed down to the princesses in the family. So perhaps it's no surprise that Radahn was not as motivated by his Carian heritage compared to his sister Ranni, for instance. So Radahn's Set was decorated with a golden lion

that symbolized Godfrey and his beast regent, and it states that "from his youngest years, Radahn was naturally captivated by the Lord of the battlefield." Then his golden helmet was designed with his flaming red hair in mind, which Radahn inherited from his father, drawing attention to the fact that he was fond of the heroic implications of being Radagon's son. Radahn and his knights were fittingly known as the Redmane, which conflates Radahn's red hair with the mane of Godfrey's lion. And Radahn was even quoted as saying, "I was born a Champions Cub. Now I am the Lord

of the Battlefield's lion" which borders on being a statement of complete loyalty to Godfrey and the Golden Order. But we'll get to that debate a little bit later. So naturally, this was a guy who reveled in the art of warfare and even in his youth as a Carian royal, it seems. Radahn was already a renowned general. We can infer this because of a man named Jerren. The Eccentric's Armor specifically says that "after spending time as a guest of the Carian Royals, he became a guest commander for General Radahn." Therefore, Radahn must have still been in

close contact with his Carian family as Jerren met Radahn through these Carian royals, and when they did meet, Jerren and Radahn seemed to immediately share a certain bond for despite Jerren preferring to have a nomadic existence, he decided to become a guest commander for General Radahn. And then, despite the temporary implication of such a title, Jerren, "this restless tumbleweed" as he was called, would become bound by honorable oath. And he and Radahn swore a vow of honorable death to one another, promising that they would die honorably in battle, even if it was death by the

other's hand. So it's not stated which battles that Radahn was fighting at the time, nor which war he required a new guest commander for. But then the world is very different at the time, and there's so much of the Lands between's history that we don't know about. So I guess it's possible that the battles were being fought for distant lands like Limgrave and Caelid. The Limgrave East map does say, after all that this path here was trod by many a soldier in the past. Maybe Radahn's forces took this path as well. And this was before

Caelid was even afflicted with the Scarlet Rot. So things might have looked really different here, although admittedly, we do have this shot from this trailer that shows that it still kind of looks a bit like a red hellscape here with the red sky. And this was technically before the Scarlet Rot took hold. Caelid did still have some culture to boast of, though. For example, in the very middle of Caelid, there is, or was, a town of sorcery called Sellia. And despite Radahn's relationship with Caria and Raya Lucaria as well, presumably, it was here in Sellia

that he studied learning gravitational magics that likely could not be taught anywhere else. He did this as the story goes, all so he would never have to abandon his beloved but scrawny steed for gravitational magics could relieve the weight of Radahn and allow his scrawny horse to carry him ever more. Also, in case you don't know, the horse's name is Leonard, according to the data. So that is the name that we're going to use going forward. And what's interesting about Leonard is that he's specifically called out as being scrawny, as if that's the reason why

he can't carry Radahn, who is enormous. Shouldn't Radahn's size be the reason why he can't ride his horse? So I think personally that Radahn actually didn't become as large as he is for a very long time. I think there's some good evidence to back that up. For one, his throne in Leyndell is of regular size. Two, his portrait is of a simple grown man. And, lastly, we see a brief shot of Radahn fighting in this image where he barely even matches Morgott in size. So personally I think that Radahn probably only grew in size when

he acquired a Great Rune. Regardless, at this stage Anyway, it's clear that Radahn initially learned gravitational magic for the sake of his horse, but that gravitational skillset would certainly come in handy as the years went on. For one, these gravitational magics were passed on to some of his elite soldiers, like Ogha, who was the "longest serving member of the Redmane Knights," who "studied techniques to manipulate gravity alongside Radahn." The equipment and the skill sets of the Redmane Knights really were very inspired by Radahn. For example, the surcoat of Radahn's Redmane Knights depicts a red-maned lion,

raising a sword in the image of Radahn. All of them proved that they were worthy of the redmane name. Even their Great Shield's design takes that symbolism further, being shaped like a fang and featuring the crest of a red-maned lion. And these knights were strong like Radahn to with descriptions stating that they were reputed to be masterful warriors, and it was popularly said that the Redmanes knew no weakness. But for all of their prowess in battle, a conflict was coming that no military strength could ward away. And I'm not talking about the Scarlet Rot, I'm

talking about the stars. But luckily for this upcoming conflict Radahn was able to solicit the help of an extremely knowledgeable teacher. According to the Gravity Well sorcery, Radahn's master was an Alabaster Lord with skin of stone, and these Onyx and Alabaster Lords were a different race entirely to humans and were said to have risen to life when a meteor struck long ago. And the meteorite sorcery tells us that the reason they were called lords was in reverential fear of their destructive power. And it seems like Radahn was soliciting their help because a similarly meteoric, destructive

power was on its way to Sellia. So earlier we established that he explicitly did learn gravitational magic so that he could ride his horse. But the Collapsing Stars sorcery also explicitly says that he learned gravitational techniques so that he could challenge the stars, which I think suggests that there were two distinct periods of learning here for Radahn, learning for the sake of his horse, and then learning for the sake of keeping Sellia safe. And there's also quite a bit of evidence that suggests that Radahn's actions here were in defense. For example, the sword gravestone in

Caelid specifically tells us that Radahn "held Sellia secure" the Starscourge Heirloom tells us that Radahn "confronted the falling stars" as if they were the aggressors. Finally, this event was also called the Starscourge Conflict, suggesting that there was a clash of some kind here, like a back and forth, if you will. So Radahn seemed to anticipate that this event was coming, but I guess that isn't so strange when you consider that Radahn was of Carian lineage who were renowned for reading fate in the stars. So I would think that anticipating a starfall would be pretty straightforward

for them, and I think it would make sense that Radahn would want to intervene if it was headed for Sellia, which is where he learned his magic from in the first place. So Radahn took defensive measures and I guess you might argue that he even went a bit overboard for he didn't just defend Sellia from the falling stars, he actually sealed the stars movements completely. So after Radahn challenged the stars, the fate in the night sky was said to be no more. And this manifests quite literally in Ranni's Questline, for example, where Radahn has to

be killed so that the stars can be unfrozen so that one of them can literally smash into Limgrave and open the path to Nokron. If not for Radahn, I feel like a star would have smashed through Sellia instead and opened a path to Nokron that way all those years ago. The Eternal City of Nokron is said after all, to sleep below Sellia. So Radahn really might have intervened here at the very last moment since a star is released and hits Limgrave, As soon as you kill Radahn. Though, I'll admit that it is a bit strange

that that star hits Limgrave and not Sellia, in which she was set to defend. I wonder why. Anyway, there's one more thing I want to talk about here. And it's that you could also make the argument that Radahn might have intervened at Sellia and frozen the stars on behalf of the Golden Order. After all, the telescope item description literally says that "the fate once writ in the night skies was fettered by the Golden Order," and Radahn was a fanboy of Radagon and Godfrey, who were two proponents of the Golden Order. So it's definitely possible that

he did this on the Golden Order's behalf. Personally, though, I think that both things can be true. I think that Radahn was clearly motivated to defend Sellia from starfall, and I think that the Golden Order did stand to benefit from one of its vassals achieving such a feat. Radahn And most of the demigods at that stage, for that matter, were technically on the side of Marika's Golden Order. So I guess technically Radahn was aligned with the Golden Order and could have fettered the stars on their behalf, technically. But the impression that I get from Radahn

is that he has no real loyalty to anyone other than himself and his men. This is my speculation, but I think this because he's not really hated by anyone in the current age or anyone in the game. Even his brother Rykard has his picture up on the wall, and Rykard famously hated anything to do with the Golden Order. So while I think Radahn served the intent of the Golden Order, I don't think he was beholden to it, especially not in the later years when the Elden Ring was shattered. Because remember this cut scene with Morgott,

[Morgott] willful traitors, all! [Vaati] Morgott labels, all of the demigods as traitors to the Golden Order, including Radahn, who we do see in a clash with Morgott suggesting that he might have abandoned his loyalty to order and marched on Leyndell after the shattering. For Radahn, like his demigod kin, had claimed a Great Rune. And it's easy to assume that a warmonger like him would have had great ambitions for power, and might have even aspired to become Elden Lord. And it's around this time when the demigods were clashing that Malenia enters the picture once more because

Malenia. Blade of Miquella was marching towards Caelid, past Godrick in Limgrave, and towards Radahn. [Kenneth Haight] Honestly, Godrick's nothing more than a jumped up country bumpkin. Lord? Don't make me laugh. First he hid himself amongst the womenfolk to flee the capital, then hid from Radahn in that castle. Then he insulted Malenia, lost to her in battle, only to lick her boots, rather than die like a man. Ha! Has he no Shame. The big girl's blouse. [Vaati] This dialog from Kenneth Haight is a great piece of lore as it tells us about this crucial late part

of the shattering war. At this point, Godrick had just failed to usurp Leyndell Capital and had fled with his tail between his legs to Stormveil. Here, he hid in fear of Radahn, who was a close neighbor in Caelid. And it makes sense that he'd fear Radahn, who was considered by many to be the strongest of the demigods. But while he was hiding here, a different army approached from the north, not the South, as Godrick must have feared. Malenia and her Cleanrot Knights were passing Stormveil on their southwards march from the Haligtree to Caelid. And this

event, this passing is marked at the Liurnia Highway Sword Gravestones which state "nothing will hinder the wings of the blade of Miquella and the Cleanrot Knights." These gravestones tend to mark points of battle, and Kenneth does state that Godrick insulted Malenia and lost to her in battle. So I assume this is where that happened. As to the nature of the insult, well, we have cut dialog from Godrick to help us out here. [Godrick] There is only one tree and only its branches. That bathe in true rays of gold. Not the fool Omen King. No. Nor

he rank malformed twins. [Vaati] So Godrick considered Miquella and Malenia rank and malformed. So I assume the insult was along those lines which was not smart on Godrick part. Malenia must have messed him up, but tellingly, she did not kill him. And that's a curious detail because this was the Shattering War. We're supposed to believe that all of the demigods were fighting for power, but if Malenia was seeking power here and looking for others Great Runes to acquire in order to restore the Elden Ring and live up to Miquella, or her own empyrean promise, then

you'd think that she would have killed Godrick, that she wouldn't have shown him mercy, but instead she lets him live. So to me that suggests that Malenia might not have been on this southward march to take power, because if she didn't claim Godrick's Great Rune, then she probably wasn't here for Radahn's either. So why then, why did Malenia come full force towards Radahn on this southward March? I feel like there are three options, four if you count the theory that Malenia might have chased down Radahn in order to get control of the Elden Ring. But

as I've just explained, I feel like that's unlikely. option two, although it's still unlikely in my opinion, is that Malenia might have sought out Radahn simply for the sake of fighting him. He was, after all, widely considered the mightiest of the demigods, as was Malenia in many cases. So it's not ridiculous to think that both of them might have fought simply for the sake of pitting their strength against one another. But that's a pretty unsatisfactory answer, in my opinion. Option three, I feel, could be because Malenia was looking for her brother. At this point, Miquella

could have already been stolen away by Mohg, so perhaps she was simply looking for him. She pretty intentionally makes a beeline towards the south and towards Caelid, and Mohg's palace is essentially underneath Sellia and underneath the area where Radahn and Malenia fought. So I guess it's possible that Malenia had some intel leading her here in a search for Miquella. But again, this is only speculation. But my favorite theory is the fourth one, which is that Malenia, and by extension Miquella, may have wanted Radahn dead for the same reason that Ranni eventually does, so that the

stars could resume their movement bringing certain fates back into play. And you might be asking, But why would Miquella want the stars to resume their movement? Well, perhaps Miquella's own fate was locked in stasis. We do find a demigods Amber Starlight Shard in Miquella's hideaway, after all, and I feel like it should be concerning that his fate might have fallen like this. But the best answer, I think, is that Miquella wanted the stars back in motion so that the moon could properly eclipse the sun. This was a ritual that Miquella seemed to believe would revive

Godwyn the Golden, his brother. And we talk about this a lot more in this video, and I can definitely see how the stars being in stasis would prevent the moon from eclipsing the sun. So I really like this answer, but I'd love to hear your theories. Surely there is more than just these four options, but in the end, there's only really one answer that I'm confident in, and it's that we can't confidently say for sure why Malenia fought Radahn. Not yet, anyway. But whatever the reason, it must have been a good one, because it was

during this battle that Malenia sacrificed everything. [Millicent] There is something I must return to Malenia. The will that was once her own. The dignity, the sense of self, that allowed her to resist the call of the Scarlet Rot. the pride she abandoned to meet Radahn's measure. [Vaati] in Elden Ring's story trailers, We see this legendary fight play out. Cleanrot Knights finally arrive, with Malenia facing off against the Redmane Knights and manage to plunge a ton of spears into Radahn during their clash. You can actually see these spears still sticking out of his back to this

day. Then Malenia and Radahn appear to be the only two left standing. Malenia sacrifices her prosthetic arm to get close to Radahn, grabbing her blade and plunging it into both of them, giving us a close up view of the two characters. Here Radahn looks monstrous, which I theorize could again be because he's tainted with the madness of a great rune, though that is just speculation. And we can also see Malenia's lips moving here, muttering some final words, or perhaps the incantation for the Scarlet Aeonia, which envelops herself and Radahn putting an end to their fight.

In this video's first chapter, we talked extensively about Malenia's battle against the Scarlet Rot within her, but in this moment she seems to lose that fight, maybe intentionally, and she allows the Scarlet Rot to take hold. Millicent, who is a great parallel to Malenia, says that this is when she sacrificed her dignity, her sense of self, her will and her pride. Malenia did all of this just so that she could meet Radahn's measure. Thus, did the Scarlet Rot explode outwards, infecting Radahn and the very land itself as their battle came to a horrific standstill. In

the end, neither party was in a state to continue fighting. So technically Malenia didn't lose, so she was technically still undefeated. Few survived the Battle of Aeonia, but one who did was the Cleanrot Knight, Finlay, who, in an unimaginable act of heroism, carried the slumbering form of Malenia all the way back to the Haligtree. They managed this alone, fending off all manner of foes along the way. But back at the center of Caelid, Malenia's Scarlet Bloom remained. A near by Phantom's dialog reads "sublime, I tell you, the very first flower of Aeonia bloomed on this

very spot. Malenia may you blossom into a goddess." In the present day, Caelid features at its center a giant tree that spirals in a similar manner to Malenia's first Scarlet Bloom. So it probably is the same Scarlet Bloom as the Phantom says. This was the very first flower of Aeonia and the beginning of the Scarlet Swamp in this land. And at the very center of that is another curious thing. There's a boss called Commander O'Neil who carries the Commander's Standard, which reads, "Even after his Lord was fled, Commander O'Neil continued to brandish this flag in

the devastation of the rot- eaten field of battle. The sole veteran who remembers this battle with pride." And it's hard for me to say exactly whose side O'Neil would have been on. He summons the spirits of exiled soldiers who themselves have no real affiliation to speak of. Though I will say that you can summon one of Millicent's sisters to help you in the fight against O'Neil, which might suggest that he's opposed to the idea of rot and that he might have fought for Radahn. Although I feel like you could go both ways on this because

the Commander's Standard says that his Lord was fled and both Malenia and Radahn fled this battle anyway. When you defeat O'Neil by luring him into the guises of Scarlet Rot, because it's funny, he doesn't just drop the Commander's Standard. He also drops an heirloom of the Battle of Aeonia, a broken needle of unalloyed gold that was once buried within Malenia's own flesh, repelling her Scarlet Rot until it's snapped. A really interesting question here, considering the needle is broken, is whether Malenia snapped the needle intentionally when she plunged her blade into herself and Radahn. Perhaps she

knew that it would cause the rot within her to flare up worse than ever If the needle was broken, and allow her to defeat Redan. Millicent does explain that the explosion of rot in her is worse after she takes out the needle, almost as if it's been building up inside them all this time. [Millicent] I pause to even tell you, but I took out the needle myself. The Scarlet Rot writhes now, worse than ever. [Vaati] So it's pretty clear that this is where the final moments of the battle took place. And we even find Cleanrot

Knights able to rise outside when you're near, even now. But then we don't find Radahn anywhere near here. Instead, we find him closer to his former home at Redmane Castle. In a nearby catacomb The spirits of the war-dead actually continue to clash, refusing to surrender even in death and outside Radahn is exactly the same way. And while witless, he's still alive, even managing to keep the stars in stasis, even now, for he's still in possession of his great rune, which itself started to burn to resist the encroachment of the Scarlet Rot. His feet have rotten

off the spears of the Cleanrot Knights remain in his flesh, but he fights on simply using those spears in his back as arrows to fight off anyone who threatens him, refusing to give up and die in anything but an honorable death. [Finger Reader] Are you one for festivals? Or flowers? to the south, a grand festival to make the stars turn. to the east, a hardened bud of a flower to be. But dare you enter? into the heart of the Scarlet Rot? [Vaati] As the rot takes hold, Caelid becomes a fresh hell and the land itself

becomes a threat. Even the dragons in this place were forced to flee and they would make a new nest on a plateau that would be dubbws Dragonbarrow. And no one since then has dared to enter it. That said, a few dragons did not make it away unscathed. The Dragon Ekzykes succumbed to the Scarlet Rot, though he did not forget his hatred and sadly Greyoll the mother of all dragons, who dwarfs them all as well, can be found on death's door, surrounded by her children and completely blighted by the Scarlet Rot. Kind of sad. Thanks for

the 50k runes though. And in the end it was Malenia's Scarlet Rot. Not really Malenia herself that would eventually drive Radahn's Redmane Knights to defeat. According to their armor, when they were driven to defeat by Malenia's Scarlet Rot, The Redmane Knights burned off the crest on the left breast of their armor to indicate their resolve, stating, Alas, "dear home, I shan't see you again, for our duty is to remain here. A bulwark against the blight" the knights using fire to burn away their own crest in this way is such a great symbol for fire was

their one and only weapon for fighting back against the rot. And interestingly, according to the Armorer's Cookbook, a lot of these tools and techniques to do with fire were passed down by an Armorer who served the great General Radahn as his books contained knowledge of dealing with rot. The application of fire in particular. And so this flame of the redmanes clearly became a large part of their identity, henceforth. Corpses of rabid wildlife were piled high and burned. Long, smoldering walls of flame were built in order to prevent the rot from spreading to neighboring lands. These

same walls border their own castles. They burned down churches, and they even managed to commandeer some flame chariots to help in their fight. They utilized torches, fire pots, arrows, everything. And fittingly, Knight Jerren's beloved sword, a Flamberge became the symbol of the castle itself. Thanks to the flame like undulation that gives this sword it's difficult to pronounce name. And Jerren himself remained at Redmane Castle to regularly host a celebration of war, calling champions from far and wide to deliver death. A death for his friend who is now festering with rot and crippled by madness, who

now only wishes for an honorable way out. Meanwhile, amidst Malenia's Aeonian Butterflies, pale pests emerge from the swamp of Aeonia, and though they appear to be mere bugs, they're not. These creatures are intelligent with a quote unquote "keen intellect" that allows them to craft uncanny weaponry from sharpened shell. They can incant spells as well, and they can even tame wild beasts. That said, they are ultimately creatures of worship, and Gowry actually calls them witless, which admittedly does contrast with them being described as intelligent in this item description. Regardless, the pests are also called the abandoned

children of the goddess, and servants of the Goddess of Rot who have been forsaken. And it's not hard to see why. Not only was Malenia carried far away at the very moment of her bloom when these pests allegedly emerged, but she resents and resists the Scarlet Rot inside her unless she's pushed to the absolute brink. So of course these pests are abandoned in that sense as well. And who wouldn't hate them? Honestly, is there anything more annoying than this bloody attack? Nevertheless, the pests persist. They even have a quotable line of dialogue in the Kindred

of Rot's Exaltation talisman, which reads "Rot for the Scarlet Goddess. O Scarlet Blossoms, flourish and distant lands, and return to us, the unwanted children. Which brings us to the phrase "Scarlet Blossoms." This might not be talking about literal flower buds of the Scarlet Rot, but instead I think it's talking about actual people. I think it's talking about these five sisters. I think these are the Scarlet Blossoms. They are Pollyanna, Maureen, Amy, Mary, and Millicent. [Gowry] The girl, Millicent. She is a bud. Green and undeveloped, waiting to flower into magnificence. What a wondrous day that will

be. In truth, before her, I've never seen a bud of such superior quality. She might very well outshine her sisters [Vaati] So it seems like these pests, including Gowry, perhaps have a keen interest in cultivating these Scarlet Blossoms. I'd prefer to talk militant's questline in a future Prepare to Cry episode, so subscribe and turn on notifications. But I will hold off for now. But essentially, Gowry does all of this in anticipation of these daughters becoming Scarlet Valkyries, who he believes might one day serve Malenia when she ascends as the Goddess of Rot. At this point,

Malenia hadn't been seen for a long while. Not since she was carried off to the Haligtree. and the Haligtrees Location itself was a mystery to many, but there were still those who venerated and worshipped her. And they weren't all pests. Some of them were human, like Maleigh Marais the castellan of the Shaded Castle. Maleigh wears the Marais mask, which is something only worn by the head of house Marais. It bears the likeness of the first of their line, and it describes this long dual history of the Marais family, who served as both executioners and castellans

of the Shaded Castle. So fittingly, their storied sword is the Marais Executioner's Sword, a broad bladed weapon that would eventually be used against them. For one day They made the mistake of capturing a Bell Bearing Hunter named Elmemer But Elemer, who knew battle skills that allowed him to move objects with his very own will, snatched the sword from the sight of his looming execution and overthrew his captors. But it doesn't seem like he wanted to rule over the castle in their stead. Instead, the castle falls into ruin. And when we find him, Elemer is just

standing and staring at an enormous portrait, which is a picture of Malenia, who some believe is to blame for the fate of the castle. A nearby phantom laments the state of things and states "House Marais is ruined. Just desserts for falling for that severed harpy. No surprise that guilty cretin took the castle and our storied sword" in the outskirts of the castle. You can actually find and fight Maleigh Marais, the former castellan of the castle who has now been ousted. He wields the Antspur Rapier, which is a weapon that evokes the scorpion dagger that we

mentioned at the start of the video, as it's also a blade fashioned from a chitinous creature. In this case, it's the spur of a giant ant. Fittingly, then, its description reminds us that "Scarlet Rot is an old legend" and goes on to state that "Maleigh Marai of the Shaded Castle was a private believer" in the Scarlet Rot. And indeed, he eventually found his own personal goddess. The Marais robe explains why he was so enamored with her, stating that "the sons of House Marais are all sickly born" And so "Maleigh Marais was beguiled by the beautiful

and fierce goddess who was born into rot." Malenia was, after all, a powerful and fierce figure in spite of her affliction. So it easy to see why Maleigh Marais looked up to her, though. I guess it's possible that he took this veneration too far as the castle is found sinking into a poisoned swamp and the throne room is filled with prosthetics which mirror Malenia's own. Indeed, it's possible that he even found Malenia's very own prosthetic. As you can loot the Valkyries Prosthesis here, which reads "Golden Prosthesis, once used by the one armed Valkyrie, a masterwork

of craftsmanship. With practice and skill, it can be used as proficiently as a real arm. When Maleigh Marais, Lord of the Shaded Castle, embraced this prosthesis, he claimed feel the presence of his personal goddess." Now, I'm not really sure if this is Malenia's actual prosthesis or not. I feel like you could make debates for and against that, but regardless, it drives home just how much of a fanboy this guy was. But in the end, the castle is not much more now than just a home for some surviving Cleanrot knights who would understandably feel at home

in such a place. And I guess they have nowhere else to go. As Malenia slumbers back at the Haligtree, where she does very little else until you arrive and trigger what I think is her second transformation. {Malenia] Wait. The scarlet bloom flowers, Once more. you will witness true horror. Now, rot! [Vaati] Now, I got some bad news for you guys in this final chapter. So you know how difficult Malenia was to defeat, right? Well, what if I told you that wasn't her final form? It might not be, for the Scarlet Aeonia description reads "Each time

the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. And with the third blume, she will become a true goddess." So it's known that Malenia's first bloom was in Caelid. And we know that she blooms in a fight against us. So the debate becomes, Is this mid-fight bloom Malenia's second bloom or her third? Some would argue that this is Malenia's third bloom and that she's already become the Goddess of Rot. She does, after all literally have "Goddess of Rot" as her title. And there is a bloom right outside her boss room, which could have been the site of

her second bloom. So how do you argue against that? Well, for starters, the bloom outside might not be hers. For one, it'd be kind of weird if she had a second bloom that is never described, right here when she's slumbering in just the neighboring room. But not only that, in front of this bloom, you actually loot the Traveler's Set, which is the same set worn by Millicent and her sisters, and Melina as well. Considering Millicent and her sisters are buds of Malenia and considering Millicent also leaves behind one of these blooms when she dies, it's

not ridiculous to think that one of these sisters might have flowered here already. And I don't think that Malenia having "Goddess of Rot" in her boss title means that much. Many, like Gowry and the pests, already believe that Malenia is the Goddess of rRot. The Scarlet Aeonia description instead specifies that the third bloom will make her a true goddess. And I think anything before that is just a brief flash of the Rot God shining through. But the biggest piece of evidence that Malenia hasn't yet reached her third bloom yet, in my opinion, comes from Gowry,

who goes to extraordinary lengths to nurture Millicent, encouraging us to kill her, even just so this betrayal can turn her into a Scarlet Valkyrie that will serve Malenia. [Gowry] It must be done by your hand, No other. Millicent trusts you rather deeply, In fact. sever that trust nurtured by betrayal, her bud will flower most vividly. when Malenia ascends to godhood, Millicent, too, shall be reborn as a Scarlet Valkyrie. [Vaati] If Millicent dies, she flowers, with Gowry's expectation being that she will be revived after this. So considering that there's a bloom in Malenia's boss room as

well, that appears after you defeat her, I feel like it's possible that Malenia could have another rivivification after this as well. And one final piece of evidence was actually pointed out by you guys in the comments of my recent Oracle short. In that video, I argued that the Oracles might be there to herald the return of Miquella as a god, as their Spirit Ashes state that "it is said that when Oracle Envoys appear, playing their pipes, they do so to herald the arrival of a new god, or age." But I completely neglected to mention that

they might be here to herald Malenia's ascension as a god instead. So thank you guys for pointing that out. If you haven't already I'd appreciate if you tried out some of my short content, it's extremely difficult to fit everything within 60 seconds, but it's a fun challenge and I'm pretty happy with some of the short stories that I've been able to tell in those shorts. Anyway, Personally I wouldn't be surprised if we find some incarnation of Malenia again in the DLC and I'd be down for that fight provided she rises again with her lower half

as a scorpion or something. But what I find to be the most disturbing thought about Malenia's potential third bloom is that Gowry believes a scarlet bloom will be more vivid if it's nurtured by betrayal. That's what we see in Millicent's questline. So what if Malenia's third bloom could be more vivid if she's betrayed by her brother, Miquella? But it's late now, and I'm really getting into some deranged speculation territory, aren't I? So that's probably my cue to end the video. A special thanks to Mispap1 for the footage and editing help, as always, and special thanks

to Quelaag as well for looking over this script. And thank you, as always, for watching. Captioned by in2thevoyde