ELDEN RING RP

The Lands Between and Key Concepts

The Lands Between is a vast, isolated realm with diverse biomes – fertile southern grasslands, a temperate central domain, and a frozen, mountainous north – all overshadowed by the towering Erdtree, whose golden glow is visible everywhere . Queen Marika once ruled these lands through the Erdtree’s Golden Order, a faith that deemed the Erdtree’s blessing (Golden Grace) as the supreme will  . Grace appears as a golden light in the eyes of the faithful; those who once had Grace but lost it (the Tarnished) were exiled, only to be called back by its Guiding Rays when the Elden Ring was shattered  . The Crucible is the primordial life-essence of the world (the “mother of all Crucibles”) that Marika transformed into the Erdtree  . Signs of the Crucible – horns, scales or tails on beings – were later deemed impure, and those born with them (the Omens and Misbegotten) were shunned or enslaved  . Amidst these forces, various factions vie for power: the Church of the Erdtree (Golden Order), worshipers of the Two Fingers (divine envoys of the Outer Will)  , militant legions (like the Redmane knights of Caelid under Radahn), and outlaw cults (such as Mohg’s Bloody Fingers and Rykard’s devout warriors). Notably, Night’s Cavalry and Crucible Knights patrol the roads: the Cavaliery are spectral revenant riders of Margit’s fallen host , and the Crucible Knights are formidable armored champions of old who served Godfrey, imbued with the life-power of the Crucible  . These Knightly enemies are each very tall, heavily-armored warriors – Night’s Cavalry on black spectral horses with funeral plumes , Crucible Knights in horned, motif-carved plate (often with tails or spikes from their Crucible corruption)  – representing the sanctified wrath of their respective masters.

Factions and Cults

The Golden Order (Erdtree Church) proclaims that Marika is the one true god and banishes death, making society immortal under the Erdtree  . It absorbed many older traditions (even Carian sorcery and Dragon lightning) to unify the realm ; dissent is labeled heresy and ruthlessly quashed . The Two Fingers serve the Outer Will (Greater Will) and were the priestly intermediaries who guided Marika to ascend and transform the Crucible into the Erdtree  . Their Finger Readers and confessors operate beyond the Lands Between, enforcing fate and doctrine in distant lands  .

Rebel cults defy the Golden Order. Chief among them are Ranni’s Lunar devotees, who deny the Outer Will. Ranni herself and her four-armed witch-associates (Blaidd, Iji, Seluvis, etc.) serve an inner quest to overthrow the current Age  . Another opposition is Mohg’s Blood Cult: Mohg, Lord of Blood, has gathered a fanatical sect (the Bloody Fingers) under the Outer God Formless Mother, using blood magic and kidnapping (even of Miquella) to spawn a godly heir  . In Caelid, General Radahn’s Redmane army held the poisoned wastes against invaders , and in Liurnia the Carian Academy wields sorcery under Queen Rennala.

Minor factions include Malenia’s Cleanrot Knights – warriors infested by Scarlet Rot who nonetheless fight for her until death  – and Rykard’s Iron Virgins, mechanical maidens (caged-sword automata) created to serve his monstrous purposes . The People of the Crucible were once honored guardians (the Crucible Knights) who revered the life-giving essence before it was seared out of the world  . Other knightly orders appear across the land – for example, the Brigand Knights in Stormveil, Leyndell’s Household Knights in gold armor, and sorcerous Carian Knights in Liurnia – each serving their own lords.

Regions of the Lands Between

The Lands Between is divided into several great regions, each with distinct terrain: • Limgrave: A temperate, fertile domain in the southwest, of rolling grasslands and misty woodlands . Stormveil Castle (Godrick’s stronghold) looms over its northern hills. The southern coast leads into the Weeping Peninsula, an isolated rain-soaked swamp region known for its perpetual downpours . • Liurnia of the Lakes: Northwest of Limgrave, Liurnia is a vast flooded expanse of shallow lakes and marshes, dominated by the ruined Academy of Raya Lucaria. Its deep waters hide many secrets (the Night Folk’s cave Nokron, and Nokstella under the lake, connected to old godly ruins). • Caelid: East of Limgrave, Caelid is a scorched wasteland blighted by Red Rot. Poisonous marshes and mushroom-pocked plains spread under blood-red skies. It is home to a broken Albinauric empire and Radahn’s Redmane Castle. • Altus Plateau and Leyndell: North of Liurnia, this golden upland is crowned by the majestic Royal Capital of Leyndell, ruled by Queen Marika. The Erdtree soars overhead here. The plateau includes glittering farmland and nobles’ estates. Beneath Leyndell lie vast sewers and an ancient tomb (the Consecrated Snowfield). • Mountaintops of the Giants: Beyond Leyndell’s north gate the terrain rises into the snowfields. Active volcano Mt. Gelmir dominates this frigid zone, as do the ancient Giant shrines. Here the curse of death and final battles of demigods (like Maliketh and Mohg) took place. The hidden Haligtree (empowered by the unalloyed needles of Miquella) rises even higher, a secret fortress in the clouds. • Subterranean realms: Underneath the lands lie the Siofra River and Ainsel River caverns – vast luminous underground worlds. Siofra is a star-lit river and ancient ruins, Ainsel a poisonous lake of rot. Far below all is the Deeproot Depths (Deepmind Fissure), burial ground of the Eternal City and of Prince Godwyn, now crawling with monstrous beasts. • Crumbling Farum Azula: At the world’s edge lies the shattered, storm-lashed flying isles of Farum Azula – the shattered remnant of ancient demigod temples. This is the final domain before the Elden Throne.

The Realm of Shadow (DLC)

Shadow of the Erdtree adds a hidden continent – the Realm of Shadow (guardian of the Scadutree) . Across it stretch warped lands reflecting golden light. Its regions include the Gravesite Plain (vast golden fields) and the Cerulean Coast – a somber bay where ghostly blue lilies bloom among beached stone coffin-ships containing ancient tainted essences . To the east lies the Abyssal Woods; in the west, high peaks (e.g. the Jagged Peak) loom over the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. Coastal cliffs (the Cerulean Coast) and hidden groves (like Lost Flower Pod) harbor new creatures and chaos-touched beasts. At the center stands the Sleeplocked Shrine of Filianore and, above all, a second great tree – the Scadutree – which masks the eroding Shadowlands beyond.

Major Characters • Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing – An elderly, scholarly Tarnished who leads Roundtable Hold. Gideon is obsessively curious and analytical, believing in gathering knowledge above all. He is tall and lean with long gray hair and a golden mask, clad in scholarly robes and the blades of marquess knights . Gideon tends to observe and advise rather than fight; he searches for the truth of the Elden Ring and arranges the Tarnished campaigns (even betraying allies to gather data). He is foster-father to Nepheli Loux (the warrior he raised), and regards the Tarnished champion as a subject of his studies . • Nepheli Loux – A fierce and righteous warrior from the Badlands. Nepheli is bold and compassionate, quick to honor the brave and righteous. She appears as a tall warrior-maiden with white-silver hair and a heavy iron eyepatch (covering a scar from Godrick’s blade), wearing a lion-emblazoned armor.  (Player perception: silver-haired axe-woman.) Nepheli fights under Gideon’s banner to overthrow Godrick, later protecting Albinauric clans. Eventually she claims lordship of Limgrave (Kenneth Haight by her side)  . Nepheli is Gideon’s adoptive daughter , and a loyal ally of any Tarnished who proves worthy (including befriending Kenneth Haight as her consort). • Brother Corhyn – A devout priest of the Erdtree Faith, earnest and kind yet naively dogmatic. He is short, with gentle features and silver hair, and wears tattered priests’ robes. He teaches Golden Order incantations in Roundtable Hold and initially counsels faith in the Two Fingers . Corhyn endeavors to guide the future Elden Lord, even interpreting visions of Grace. He is a faithful friend to Goldmask (though he eventually doubts the Order) and a mentor figure to the Tarnished adventurer . • Roderika, the Spirit Tuner – A nervous, fragile ex-noblewoman now serving Roundtable Hold. Once a proud Tarnished, she has a timid, haunted personality after witnessing atrocities. Roderika is pale and slight, wearing a crimson pilgrim’s mantle and sash  . Under Smith Hewg’s tutelage she now tunes spirit ashes for the Tarnished, and she solemnly senses spiritual disturbances (e.g. the Dung Eater’s presence)  . She reveres Hewg like a father and longs to see peace; she trusts the Tarnished to end the church’s cruelty (even begging them to kill Marika)  . • Knight Diallos of Jarburg – A proud but soft-hearted knight. Diallos has a formal, slightly arrogant air but a good soul; he respects bravery above blind obedience . He wears the distinctive Hoslow’s Petal armor: white plate adorned with purple floral designs, carrying a petal-motif sword and shield . In combat he uses Hoslow’s Whip and shield, echoing Jarburg’s royal crest. Diallos dutifully upholds Lord Jarburg’s legacy and assists Nepheli, though he privately admires his late brother Juno’s courage . After Jarburg’s fall he also serves the Tarnished champion, looking up to Nepheli as a rightful lord. • Darian (D), Hunter of the Dead – A grim warrior devoted to eradicating undead defilements. Darian is stoic, relentless and somewhat fanatical in his mission; he is fiercely loyal to the Golden Order and to his beliefs about life and death . He appears in dark, spiked “Twinned” armor (black and silver) wielding the paired Inseparable Sword, with a horned helmet concealing most of his face . He hunts Those Who Live in Death (defilers of grace), journeying with his companion Beast-Clergyman Gurranq . Darian’s only intimate tie is with his twin brother Devin, who shares a mystical soul-link with him; Darian ultimately dies at the hands of Fia . • Ensha of the Royal Remains – Gideon’s silent swordsman attendant. Ensha is obedient and taciturn, lacking any expressed personality beyond duty . He wears the gleaming Royal Remains armor – a strange golden skeletal set (the bones of a deposed king) with a draping halfcloak  . His purpose is to protect Gideon’s secrets: he springs upon anyone who bears the Haligtree medallions, driving them off blade-first. He answers only to Gideon, executing the old master’s will with grim zeal. • The Twin Maiden Husks – Two stoic petrified merchants in Roundtable Hold. They are former Finger Reader acolytes who have been magically fused together; one husk stands bent over a great bell, the other her back affixed to its rim . They have no personality (only gentle bell-chimes), and they never speak. The Twin Husks offer rare weaponry and ashes of war (in exchange for bell bearings), serving the Tarnished as vending spirits . Their only “relationship” is enigmatic – they are believed to be ancient Finger Readers turned into husks by unresolved vows . • Kenneth Haight, Heir of Limgrave – An eccentric but warm-hearted noble. Kenneth is haughty and formal (often belittling Godrick’s “grafting heretic” claim), yet genuinely kind and deeply honor-bound . He is tall and dignified in blue and gold noble’s attire, crowned with a three-horned helmet (a moniker of Limgrave) . Originally dreaming of reclaiming Limgrave’s throne, he resists Godrick and later rewards his supporters – eventually crowning Nepheli as rightful queen  . Kenneth’s loyalty shifts to Nepheli Loux (seeing her as the true Stormhawk he prophesied), and he remains her devoted knight and advisor . • Smithing Master Hewg – A crusty, tender-hearted giant blacksmith. Bound in chains at Roundtable Hold, Hewg is gruff yet deeply caring (especially toward Roderika)  . He looks every bit like the scaled Scaly Misbegotten – broad, scaly-skinned and horned – and he works the forge relentlessly . Hewg’s duty (a curse from Marika) is to upgrade the Tarnished’s weapons toward the blade that could slay a god . He treats Roderika as a daughter and grumbles over his chains, but faithfully strengthens every weapon offered to him, hoping secretly to end this endless cycle of suffering . • Millicent, the Rotting Blade – A proud swordswoman fighting Scarlet Rot. Millicent is determined and defiant, masked behind her affliction but unwavering in duty. She has long red hair and wears light armor stained by rot; her right arm has become a deadly curved blade (Millicent’s Prosthesis) . Driven by a zealous devotion to Malenia’s cause, she traverses Caelid and beyond to battle alongside the Tarnished  . Millicent was raised by the sage Gowry (whom she regards as her father) , and she fights in hopes that her rot may be cured and her dream of becoming a valkyrie of Malenia fulfilled. • Fia, Deathbed Companion – A gentle, enigmatic caretaker of the dying. Fia is soft-spoken and seemingly fragile; she mourns loss but embraces it with eerie peace. She appears as a pale woman in a tattered purple-and-black dress, with long pale hair tied up and dark circles around her eyes. Unknown to most, she warms heroes at their deathbeds and grants them the “Baldachin’s Blessing” (life in death) by embracing them . In secret she was the devoted lover of Godwyn, the dead Prince of Death ; she even slays Darian to retrieve the mark of Godwyn . In the end she dies at her own hand (after sowing seeds of change), but until then she serves Rogier and the Tarnished as a compassionate, if sorrowful, guide  . • Goldmask (Enia’s Seer) – A mute blind prophet in golden mask. Goldmask is eccentric and zealous, long devoted to the Golden Order’s dogma . He is an emaciated old man whose face is completely covered by a gilded mask; he wears tattered golden robes. In life he guided Corhyn to behold visions of the Erdtree and discover great secrets of Marika (he foresaw the shattering of Grace) . Goldmask now wanders the Lands Between with Corhyn, still composing words about the “perfect order” . His ultimate gift to the world was the Mending Rune of Perfect Order (engraved by his hand before death) . • Sorcerer Rogier – A courteous veteran mage in search of knowledge. Rogier is mild-mannered and curious, always eager to learn or teach—he even flirts gently with knowledgeable women. He is thin, bespectacled, with graying hair, clad in scholar’s robes (Spellblade armor) and carrying an ornate rapier . Rogier first appears offering sorcery to the Tarnished at Stormveil; later at Roundtable Hold he deciphers the secrets of the Black Knives and Death-root with them  . He is allied to Fia (loving the subject of death) and was friends with Darian; he ultimately succumbs to the Deathroot poison, leaving one final clue that Ranni was behind the Night of Black Knives  . • Other Tarnished and Allies: Many other Tarnished and wanderers populate the Hold and roads. For example, Miriel, Pastor of Vows, is a gigantic sage-tortoise who appears kindly in the Church of Pilgrimage; he is wise and patient, teaching sorceries and the meaning of vows (he is gentle with a bishop’s mitre on his shell). White Mask Varré is a glib, mischievous former convict who taunts the Tarnished about fate (one of Marika’s jailers). The Dung Eater (see below) is an infamous Tarnished who belies redemption. Though any Tarnished can assume power, notable ones such as Nepheli, Gideon, Rogier, Fia and others form the inner circle around Roundtable Hold.

Demigods and Titans

The children (and some step-children) of Queen Marika and her consorts – the demigods – once ruled as powerful lords. Each is formidable: • Godrick the Grafted – A brutal demigod (distant Marika kin) who fears weakness. Godrick is vain and sadistic, though insecure of his diluted blood . He has grafted countless arms and weapons onto his body; he fights with a massive axe and the head of a dragon as an extra arm . He seized Stormveil and styled himself Stormhawk; he rules the Albinauric clans under threat and hunts “Tarnished mutants.” In battle he was humiliated by Malenia’s force . His subjects despised him (“the Grafted”) , and after the Tarnished defeated him, Nepheli Loux took his crown of Limgrave . • Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy – Once a pious demigod of Radagon and Rennala, he turned traitorous. Rykard is single-minded and nihilistic, caring nothing but the strength of his creed. He fused himself with a colossal serpent; now he appears as a huge dragon-snake with a man’s upper body (his face crowned by writhing hairlike snakes) . From Volcano Manor he commands Iron Virgins and leads cannibalistic feasts as rituals . Secretly allied to his sister Ranni (she gave him a Death Rune) and his faithful consort Tanith  , he helped Ranni’s plot by organizing assassins and blood rituals. The Tarnished must kill him by using a special spike, severing his bond with the serpent . • Morgott, the Omen King – A proud demigod secretly born cursed. Morgott is noble and relentless, utterly devoted to the Golden Order. He appears as a tall king in white-and-gold princely armor, but twisted horns sprout from his forehead (sign of his Omen birth) . He once masqueraded as “Margit, the Fell Omen” to test visitors at Stormveil, then revealed himself in Leyndell to judge the Tarnished as “graceless”  . He fiercely defends the Erdtree’s rule and Leyndell’s sanctity, fighting anyone who threatens it. Morgott is the twin brother of Mohg (see below) and considers other horned beings vile – yet he himself remains loyal to Marika as “Morgott, the Grace‐Given” even though he carries the Omen curse  . • Mohg, Lord of Blood – Morgott’s twin and Marika’s eldest son, who embraced his cursed nature. Mohg is cruel and fanatical in blood-worship. He is tall and gaunt, wearing rich red robes and a golden mask (with hollow eyes) – blood drips constantly from his throne room. As high priest of the Outer God Formless Mother, he presides over Mohgwyn Palace, kidnapping victims to draw their blood into a ritual, even attempting to sire a godly heir with Miquella  . He considers himself a savior for the bleeding, but others (like Morgott) see only his tyranny. Mohg’s domain is filled with blood-tainted soldiers (the Bloodsoaked Crucible Knights) and flayed corpses. • Starscourge Radahn – A noble and gentle giant of a general. Radahn was the heroic warrior-son of Radagon and Rennala (step-son of Marika) famed for gravity magic. With flaming red hair and immense stature, he wears studded red armor adorned with lion motifs (in honor of Godfrey) . He commanded the Redmane Army from Redmane Castle and literally stopped the motions of the stars with his power . During the Shattering he dueled the other demigods (notably Malenia) to a standstill . Beloved by all, he had even been pledged as a consort to Miquella . Ultimately, Malenia’s Scarlet Rot consumed his mind, leaving him a deranged warrior lord roaming the Wailing Dunes  . (Defeating Radahn ends the Redmane Festival and lets fallen stars resume their fall.) • Miquella the Kind – A pure-hearted demigod of healing and compassion. Miquella is Malenia’s twin (unaging due to a curse) and Marika’s younger son by Radagon. He is soft-spoken, profoundly empathetic, and driven by love: he devoted himself to curing his sister’s rot and protecting outcasts . Though eternally childlike in appearance (gentle features, blond hair), he was deeply revered – so much that he could muster armies of Albinaurics at his Haligtree. Miquella crafted the Haligtree atop Elphael (nurturing it with his own blood) as a refuge for the persecuted . He pioneered “Unalloyed Gold” needles to counter the Outer Gods . He even chose Radahn as his promised consort out of deep admiration . Tragically, Mohg kidnapped him and left him comatose in a cocoon of blood; he lies above Enir‐Ilim in the shadow realm, awaiting rescue. • Malenia, Blade of Miquella – A peerless warrior and tragic figure. Malenia is Miquella’s twin sister, famed for her invincibility (“She has never known defeat” ). Scarred by Scarlet Rot, she is composed and proud, dedicating herself to honor and strength even as her body decays. She wears ornate white-and-gold knight’s armor with a layered helm, and carries a prosthetic arm and sword fashioned by Miquella . In her prime, she led legions (the Cleanrot Knights) against all rivals and even dueled Radahn to a stalemate  . After the Ring shatters, she claims a Great Rune for herself and wanders the Haligtree area, shrouded in red rot. Her only true attachment is to Miquella (her sworn lord); she would rather die than see him suffer and calls upon his name even in battle  . • Ranni the Witch – A fey and enigmatic demigod sorceress. Ranni is composed and commanding, with a quiet resolve to change fate. Her spirit inhabits a pale blue puppet-bodied maiden with four arms, long flowing cyan hair, and a massive floppy witch-hat . She orchestrates many secret schemes against the Golden Order: she once murdered her own body to escape the Two Fingers, then “stole Death” by using a Death Rune to create the Night of Black Knives . Beneath her polite exterior Ranni seeks a new Age of the Stars to “upend” the old world . Daughter of Radagon and Rennala, she is half-sister to Rykard and Radahn. She is fostered and fiercely protected by Blaidd the Half-Wolf and guided by her old troll comrade Iji . • Other Demigods (briefly): Godrick’s distant lineage (his “Golden Lineage”) was weak, but he counts as one. Ranni’s other brothers include Radahn and Rykard. Rennala (Queen of Caria) though not a demigod herself, raised many demigods and wields moon sorcery. Queen Marika (the Eternal) and her consort Radagon stand above all. Most demigods’ life force lingers in the Erdtree or Haligtree as Remembrances (e.g. Radagon, Malenia, Miquella). Marika’s shattered lineage has produced dozens of powerful champions (Messmer, Godwyn the Golden, etc.), but those above are the most notable for roleplaying.

Minor Enemies (Knight-like Foes)

Many fearsome knight enemies roam the Lands Between. Besides Night’s Cavalry and Crucible Knights, notable groups include the Cleanrot Knights (Malenia’s rot-infested followers, who continue to fight even as their flesh decays ), the Iron Virgins (Rykard’s mechanical maidens with spinning cage-weapons ), and the Redmane Knights (Radahn’s lion-emblazoned cavalry). In Caelid one may fight the Leonine Soldiers at Redmane Castle; in Liurnia the Sorcerer Carian Knights hover with ethereal swords. Deep graves and catacombs hold Deathbed Soldiers in ethereal armor. Many of these are tall, imposing figures in plate or mixed armor. For example, the Crucible Knights wear heavy horned plate coursing with red Crucible energy , while Cleanrot Knights are gaunt figures wrapped in rot-torn armor. Each of these knight enemies has its own dark origin tied to the demigods and factions: they are often the cursed remnants or zealots of fallen powers, now twisted into revenant guardians of those dark legacies.

Throughout the Lands Between and beyond, all these factions and figures create a tapestry of conflict and mystery. The Tarnished player can assume the role of any of these characters in spirit: noble lord or exiled miscreant, cleric or highwayman, outer god cultist or faithful saint. Every named being – from Gideon the scholar to the great demigods – lives fully within this world, their personalities, appearances, and deeds interwoven by the divine Grace of the Erdtree and the myriad curses of the Crucible.

The "undead" state of the Tarnished in Elden Ring is best understood as "dead who yet live," which is a state of perpetual resurrection enabled by the blessing of Grace. Unlike the typical undead in other fantasy settings, the Tarnished do not suffer from a curse that causes physical decay or loss of self. They were mortals who died, but were recalled and resurrected by the Greater Will to complete the task of becoming the Elden Lord. This resurrection occurs at Sites of Grace because the Rune of Death, which governs true, permanent death, was removed from the Elden Ring, leaving the world in a state of immortality controlled by the Golden Order. This makes the Tarnished fundamentally different from the actual cursed "Those Who Live in Death" (like skeletons and zombies) who exist as decaying abominations outside the Erdtree's intended cycle of rebirth. The Tarnished are simply champions pulled back from oblivion and imbued with the power to try again and again until their destiny is fulfilled.