Once upon a time…I stumbled upon an article written by a well-known video game website that gave Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll a bad rating. According to the video game journalist, the lead character (Areus) is bland, and the gameplay is boring. I remember thinking that I must have bad taste because I really enjoyed the game and liked the protagonist. He is half-elf and half-human who grew up facing severe prejudice.
In other words, he is an outsider. I suppose with this type of game, you have to be the type who doesn’t mind role playing a character different from yourself. You play for the art, music and story. You play for the entire package.
These days, I don’t bother reading game reviews written by big video game sites, nor do I take game reviews seriously written by gamers who were still toddlers during the PS3 era. It’s a whole different generation. Although I must say, I think it’s cool to see younger folks appreciating older games.
Anyway, I have been replaying this game and would love to give this game a proper review. It will take me some time, though. So my blog will be quiet for a bit, but I am sure there is more than enough content out there to keep you from boredom. In the meantime, here is the awesome opening to the game. I watched it several times.
P.S.
There was a daily prompt that asked “What job would you do for free?” I have been writing about games for about 10 years now on my free time. If it’s not passion then I don’t know what it is.
My journey is coming to an end. I defeated the final boss (Lord of Cinder). Also, I have defeated Slave Knight Gael, the final boss of the Ring City DLC. The lore is very interesting, so I decided to go on a 2nd journey to unlock ‘The Usurpation of Fire’ ending. There are three endings total, and I have already seen two of them. One was from my old playthrough.
In my previous blog post, I said I would discuss the Painted World of Ariandel lore (particularly Sister Friede) but by doing so, you must have some knowledge of the Painted World of Ariamis in Anor Londo, where you face Priscilla in DS1. The painted world in DS3 is linked to the Hollow realm of Londo. Similarly, Sister Friede is like Pricilla except harder. She represents death. So just imagine a cold world without warmth. It’s not very pleasant. I personally did not enjoy the snow area, and it wasn’t because I hate the level design, it’s because the bright light from the snow hurts my eyes!
It’s not bad. At least there are flowers.
Anyway, Sister Friede is one of the maidens of the Primordial Serpent and one of the sisters (Yuria and Lillian) who founded the Sable Church. The Sable Church offers salvation to the hollows who led unsavory lives. And what does hollow mean? It is when the undead eventually lose their minds. Just like Sirri’s grandfather, who became a madman. Another important point is that Sister Friede is ashen like the player. Her duty was to link the fire to prevent the world from dying; however, she chose rot over flames along with Father Ariandel. In other words, they want the Painted World of Ariandel to rot. If you have played Demon’s Souls, does she remind you of Maiden Astraea, a pure soul that turned to an Archdemon because God was cruel for abandoning the Valley of Defilement and its inhabitants to wither and die? It’s female compassion backfired, but oddly maternal. Can a good mother ever abandon her children, even if they are monsters? So, when a player defeated Sister Friede, the painted world became engulfed in flames for the better. The action I took as an intrusive player messed with my conscience a bit because I empathized with Sister Friede’s decision to choose rot over flames, but I also know it’s not right to choose death. What she wanted was a world that rot away eternally. Is that what you call peace for the hollows? It kind of sound like hell to me. In her circumstances, compassion was her weakness, and therefore, she was no champion of life at all.
Sorry, Sister Friede, for burningyour sanctuary.
Instead, a “cold, dark and very gentle place” might be better. And that where the Ring City fits in, which is different from the hollow realm of Londor and which I won’t go into detail. I do want to mention that I really like Yuria and Sister Friede as characters but I don’t agree with their worldview–the hollow way is not the right way. I guess that is why I like Sirris of the Sunless Realms and Shira, Knight of Filianore. I rather live in a world full of warmth than a cold, sad one even if I am bound to selfless duty. What can you gain from a selfish world?
A “cold dark and very gentle place” for the hollows I suppose.
There are some Elden Ring references I noticed in DS3, which led me to believe this game is a prequel to Elden Ring. In Elden Ring, rot is the cycle of birth and decay–like how flowers bloom then wilt. Whereas flames, it’s light, the source of life. We are dealing with polytheism with a mixture of animalism here. It just shows how complex the narrative is in the game, leaving room for a lot of interpretation. But I can theorize that the story of DS3 is about allowing the fire to fade for a new world order. So everything in the game is mournfully sad. Apart from the theme, I feel sympathy for these NPCs and may have to go back and explore their questlines. I accidentally killed Ringfinger Leonhard, who has a sad story. Well, everyone in the game is sad and broken.
Meditating in the storm. It shall pass.
I am not sure if I want to platinum the game. For your money’s worth, this game is timeless, on par with classic books. Unfortunately, not everyone will ever get to experience the story because it’s a challenging game that requires some dedication. Maybe one day, FromSoftware will make a Dark Souls novel? I heard there is an Elden Ring movie in the making. I am not sure how effective the story will be, though. Video games as a medium for storytelling are a unique and one-of-a-kind experience. It just makes the story so much more personal and definitely more rewarding to get through. I must confess that this game is so hopelessly dark. The next game I am going to play is definitely something lighter and cheerful. Hmm… or maybe I will go back and reread Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a book that reminds me that adults have it backward when it comes to living.
Before I start the boss fight with Sister Friede in the Painted World of Ariandel, I want to mention the bosses I defeated previously. These include Dragondslayer Armor, Oceriros the Consume King, Champion Gundyr, Ancient Wyvern, Lothric, Younger Prince, and the Nameless King. I did this before starting this DLC because I was no match for Sister Friede at level 45. I suppose there is a reason why players can access the DLC midway through the game. It was placed at the Cleansing Chapel Bonfire, which I still do not understand. I do, however, think there is a flaw in this edition. I cannot summon Slave Knight Gael (will do a separate post on story) during the boss fight. I have already summoned him for the battle with Prince Demon and progressed his questline. So, if you are playing this edition, I suggest you skip the DLCs. Return when you are at a higher level. Make sure to play the DLCs in order. It will save you time because the extra help from Slave Knight Gael is greatly appreciated. Of course, you can summon help if you play online. However, I couldn’t do that because I don’t have a PlayStation Plus subscription.
Oh boy, like Prince Lothric and Nameless King, those boss fights took me several runs. Sister Friede was the cherry on top! I guess never underestimate the power of the cold nun.
Is that Priscilla Scythe from Dark Souls? I love Priscilla!!! (phase 1)
The first phase was fine. The second phase was easy. The third phase was the most difficult. You can summon Slave Knight Gael. However, he will only appear during the second phase of the boss fight. As I mentioned earlier, you can summon him if you have not defeated Prince Demon in The Dreg Heap. I wasted so many embers because I kept running out of estus flasks in the third phase. In the end, like always, skill helped me beat the boss. I knew its pattern and dodged like crazy. I am not going to lie. It feels so rewarding when I beat her. I have been trying for several days! Of course, I do feel shame for invading her world. She did politely ask me to return to where I came from. But I am just so curious. A world without flames? What sort of world is that? Death? The curious cat in me has to know!
My curiosity pisses Father Ariandel off… (phase 2)
The image is a bit dark, but there were several moments like this when I almost killed her, but she got to me first (phase 3).
I won’t talk about the strategy on how I won the battle in detail. There are some good ones on YouTube: Gentle Needle and Loreena are ones that stood out to me the most. It was hard to avoid her when she goes into invisible mode. She swipes you with her scythe, taking a big chunk of your HP. What I did differently from other players was preventing her from going into invisible mode. I blast her with the Great Soul Spell before she even gets to disappear. Doing this helps conserve estus flasks for the final round. She was so quick and fearsome in the final round. My heart was pounding!
Lastly, I will mention the optional boss: The Champion’s Gravetender and Gravetender Greatwolf. This post is mainly about Sister Friede. The boss fight took me a few tries, but it wasn’t too difficult. By defeating it, you will unlock Undead Match. Perhaps this is where ‘PVP creed’ came from, where players are not allowed to use estus flasks during a duel. I like how the developer added this gaming mechanic. If players want to do PVP, there is a section for that. This is because not everyone wants to duel. Not everyone wants to fight to the death.
I burned the Painted World. Now all I have left is the final boss and the Ring City DLC. But first, I stop to smell the flowers before I go on a killing spree.
I have been daydreaming about Elden Ring (2022). Reminiscing about the adventure, the looting, and the side quests. The land in between is beautifully brutal. Then I remember writing a blog post about Malenia which I gave her a nickname: the Beautiful Rotten Flower. I was so consumed by finding ways to defeat her that, for a while, all I could think about was Malenia. I remember after beating the game, I felt drained. So when Shadow of the Edtree was released last year, I didn’t feel inclined to purchase the DLC. I am still on the fence about buying it because these games are becoming increasingly designed for cooperative play, which is a turn-off for me.
I remember my experience with Dark Souls III (2016). It is a pretty game but I didn’t like how fast the enemies were and there were more of them compared to Demon Souls (2009) Dark Souls (2011) and Dark Souls II (2014). All the later editions seem to gear toward the “git gud” PVP crowd, and that is just not my forte. I remember playing Bloodborne (2015) and some invader got mad at me for using healing potions. This person was expecting me to follow some PVP creed that I was not aware of. I just laughed it off. The person invaded my world and was expecting me to play by some external rules? That sounds so ridiculous. I was always more interested in the creative design than the social aspect of the game anyway. That’s why I am so grateful that you can play Souls games in offline mode on the console version (I am not sure about PC). If you were to ask me, my least favorite thing about the Souls game is the invasion. I don’t think I have ever invaded anyone’s world or voluntarily helped anyone defeat enemies. Well, there was one time I was automatically summoned to someone’s world in Dark Souls II because I was in The Way of the Blue Covenant. It’s an interesting gaming mechanic, and I learned that not everyone is an uncivilized brute.
Honestly, I miss the quietness of the earlier Souls games. That is part of the reason why I have been hesitant with FromSoftware’s latest installment Elden Ring Nightreign, which I heard is designed for cooperative play. Finding the right skillful people to play with feels too daunting. That’s why I shy away from multiplayer games and lean towards games like Dragon’s Dogma (2012). The pawn system fixes that issue. You can use other players’ pawns to assist you without having the actual player control the pawn in real-time. It’s an ingenious idea for those who want to play multiplayer games but don’t always have the time to find the right people to play with. Even if you do have the right people to play with, we all have lives and different schedules outside of gaming. As I am writing this, now I am curious about Dragon’s Dogma II.
Writing down my thoughts made me realize…oh why don’t I just give Dragon’s Dogma II a try despite the negative reviews? After all, I am an atypical gamer. So this game may be the antidote that will cure my adventure ailment. In the meantime, I am replaying Dark Souls III because I’m looking forward to capturing pictures without the HUD. It’s the beautiful flowers in the game that captivate me. A mixture of adventure and flowers is exactly what I need.
I platinumed and explored everything I could in Elden Ring, a game developed by FromSoftware, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Now I am waiting for the DLC which will be released sometime in late 2023 or early 2024. I am quite curious to learn more about its story which I think I got it down, but I decided not to break it down in this review for many reasons. One, it will require some in-depth research on my part. Secondly, there are already plenty of sources on YouTube that attempted to explain the story in detail, although all of them are just based on educated guesses including mine, in which led me to the conclusion of this game: Why do we like to champion over other?
As you can tell from the blog’s post title, this game is epically unique. One, you don’t play as a hero, but as a champion. You are neither good nor bad. You are a Tarnished who is led by the Site of Grace to become the Elden Lord. Not only does the player competes with other Tarnished, but he/she also has to defeat other demigods to establish order in a shattering world. But why is the world broken? This is the question that got me hooked to the story.
I suppose this image is quite misleading. This game is not a fashion show. I did not tiptoe my way to the Site of Grace.
This image is truer to my experience.
Okay so the story is great and so is the gameplay but what’s the problem with that? It has to do with the flow of the game. Well the flow of my review is no better than the game according to AI Assistant so who am I to complain? Anyway, I was overwhelmed with the open-world aspect of the game. If only I followed the main route, I could have finished this game in a decent time. It took over 200 hours in one playthrough. I “wasted” a lot of time trying to get everything which earned me a game completion of 82 % on my first playthrough. Like Sorcerer Rogier the NPC, you might end up roaming the Lands of Between for a very long time until you lose sight of your original purpose.
I’m Tarnished, like you. But unlike you, I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of this guidance for the longest time. Still, I won’t forget how it felt when I first came here, to the Lands Between.
-Sorcerer Rogier
I don’t deny it’s a time-consuming game. Not everyone would have the pleasure to experience it entirely because it requires a lot of dedication like watching Game of Thrones, which unfortunately I have not seen for obvious reason. My preferred method of entertainment has always been gaming. So, this game was like a gift from “heaven”, but for casual and non-gamers, I can see how off-putting it can be. The characters are all interesting that you want to get to know them, but the gameplay gets in the way. Wander too far, you might come across a boss fight! At first, I struggled a bit because there is so much freedom in the game that it’s easy to “waste” time. 1) You had to explore and unlock the map. 2) You have to defeat the surrounding enemies or else you will keep dying and that will prevent you from exploring. 3) You might aimlessly wander off too long because you are bewitched by its beautiful environment. Of course, there is an efficient way to play the game, but I wouldn’t know that if I didn’t refer to a guide. Oh, I am talking about the story portion that is. There are 6 endings. If you are in just for the story, I recommend just sticking to television series. It’s much less work.
On the surface, it looks like I could go to this place easily. I remember spending hours trying to get to it only to learn that it’s part of Ranni the Witch’s quest, which occurs halfway through the game.
In terms of gameplay, apart from the main course where the player defeats the main bosses, there are also a ton of optional bosses. Some are part of the questlines. I found myself referring to the internet and walkthrough guide quite often when I got stumped, which depending on your play style, this could either be rewardingly challenging or simply annoying. The caves and catacombs themselves are like mini-side games. Some are short but some take longer, depending on how many times you slip and die or get killed by pestering skeletons. Just imagine all the indie games (which takes 1-5 hours to beat) you can play in one game. There is always a boss at the end of each “stage”. Once the player has defeated the boss in that area, the player is rewarded with unique items. So, they are worth completing. Personally, I found them quite fun. However, the downfall to this gaming experience is that it kind of breaks the flow of the game since it has nothing to do with the main story. Maybe that was the whole purpose? I was beginning to feel like a witless champion myself, a theme that reoccurred quite frequently in the story.
In conclusion, for such an ambitious game, it did champion over every other game out there for me. It’s a great game with a great story, but it sure burnt me out and I am not sure if I want to play another intense game for a long time. I suppose that might not just be a bad thing after all.
yeah…that’s one hella game!
So what about you? Have you played this game? I would love to hear your thoughts!
I noticed in my blog I covered a lot of gaming materials these past few months, and I enjoyed documenting my thoughts about them as well. It’s considered brain exercise to me. But after completing Elden Ring with a 92 percenttrophy completion and obtaining the majority of the loots (I’m sure there are still some items I missed), I decided to move on once I finished my 3rd playthrough to get the Flame of Frenzied ending which will give me the platinum trophy. Then I can brag to other gamers that I have skills! I am just kidding. Bragging was never my cup of tea. Maybe it’s just my upbringing, I have always found it difficult to talk highly of myself. You see, the game is not easy but I managed to complete it. So, I should give myself some credit. I think it’s pretty amazing how patient and determined I am, but I wish I was a bit more competitive. I didn’t enjoy invading other’s people world and conquering them. As a result, I failed to see through some questlines in Elden Ring. If I am not enjoying it then there’s no point.
White-Faced Varre (He’s to the right) asked me to invade other people’s worlds, which is part of a quest line. I prefer my dress clean. Being strong enough to defend myself is more than enough killing for me.
New people who come across my blog recently might think this is my first entry to the Souls games because I don’t like PVP. Truth is I started off with Demon’s Souls (2009). I have always played for the atmosphere. And one thing I noticed from all of the Souls games is the lack of feminine armors. I wish the Souls games had more of them. There weren’t many pretty armors. I know in real life wearing a pretty dress would attract predators, but this is fantasy. Why not? The armors in the game look so intimidating. I suppose it made sense in a world where dogs eat dogs. This is a battleground after all. There’s no time to be soft like a jellyfish, although I learned that being a “jellyfish” (soft) does not make a person weak as we see in the character Roderika,a spirit tuner who is afraid of getting her limbs pulled apart like her fellow men who have crossed the sea to the Lands of Between and got grafted in her place. Roderika may lack courage, but she compensates it through other form. You see, the spirit cannot be crushed. She makes them stronger. I like how the character’s weakness is turn into strength. Also, I just realized I wore Roderika’s armor this entire time. It’s the Noble’s Traveling Garb set as you can see from the picture below. It’s one of the few nice feminine gears I could find in the game.
The caption in the picture says, “No time to waste. Let’s see the stars.” The dialogue is part of a small quest line.
I know that I am rambling a bit in this blog post. I did warn readers that I want to be more casual and less structured for my mental health. It does take a lot of revising to get my point across. Anyway as I was searching for a picture of the Jellyfish, I realized something beautiful. According to the description of the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes which was given to me by Roderika, the Jellyfish spirit’s name is Aurelia and she is in search of her distant home. Well, it just dawn on me that the stars can be found underground in a place called SIOFRA RIVER. These beautiful creatures are indeed dead. It’s bittersweet and sad because before Aurelia reunited with her sister, her sister was hauntingly calling out for her in the Stargazer Ruins. I found this little aha moment quite delightful. It’s a lovely artistic composition.
Speaking of the characters, they are all quite interesting and balanced. It’s a theme I notice quite often. Perhaps, that is the thesis of the story that Hidetaka Miyazaki the director, and George R. R. Martin the writer want to express. That sounds like another blog post idea. There is so much to dive into in this heavy-loaded game. When gameplay is combined with a good story, it just blows my mind. I never thought I’d see something as grand as this. It got me obsessed for two months all because I want to escape from the prairie’s heat. However, I don’t know if that is a good thing. My mind can’t find rest. I have to piece the story myself but I am also curious about other people’s interpretation.
Because this game is so massive, it will probably be the last game I play for the remainder of the year as I have upcoming major plans in the coming months. Plus, I want to give more attention and love to the book department. Playing Elden Ring made me realize how much I miss reading a good book.
No, I didn’t throw the controller. Didn’t pull my hair. Didn’t scream at the T.V. I did none of that, but like a crazed gambler, I played until I win. During the battle, I called her the stinking scarlet rotten flower as a coping mechanism to relieve my frustration. The truth is she didn’t stink. She was like an alluring perfume scent that stunned me into a relationship for two whole days. She moved around with her blade elegantly with one swipe. I was obsessed. I kept thinking: “I am almost there if I keep trying,” but the result was the same. It was until I decided to re-strategize, reallocate my stats, level up, and went on a hunt for moon spells that I started to have a glimmer of hope. After all, I was facing a boss who claimed to “have never known defeat.”
Malenia, Blade of Miquella
For such an intimidating statement, I was beginning to lose hope despite my best effort to dodge and cast spells. Skills can only get us so far until we need luck on our side. If I can recall, medieval writers personify luck and called it Fortune. When things go wrong, we blame Fortune, but when things go right, we thank her. I felt the same way about this boss fight. I tried to beat the boss several times to the point I started daydreaming during the first phase of the battle because I knew her patterns quite well. In the second phase not so much because I was panicking. To defeat any boss in the soul-like games, it’s about natural reflex and timing! And unlike other games, if you die in the 2nd phase, you have to start all over again from phase 1 of the boss fight! That’s why I said this boss fight was almost pure luck. When she consecutively bloomed twice in the 2nd phase, I knew it was my chance to blast her with a powerful spell (Thank you Fortune for being on my side).
Comet Azur may be an overrated powerful spell but I am so grateful for it.
There were two phases in this boss fight and what made it so difficult was that not only was she quick with her blade, but she also regenerated her health by attacking the player. In other words, she absorbed the player’s health. It was like one of those soul-sucking relationships where the person took more than give. Not a pleasant feeling. So, I had to really learn how to play this game. I ended up defeating her by using only two important spells: Stars of Ruin in the first phase because it auto-locks the target and Comet Azur in the second phase because of its high damage. The rest was up to me on how well I dodged and blocked her attacks! For talismans, I equipped Radagon Icon, Primal Glinstone Blade, Edtree’s Favor +1, and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman. My armor didn’t really make a huge difference whether I had it on or not, although I did wear something light so that it was easier to move around and dodge. One hit took a lot of damage. Meanwhile, my summoned Ash War Mimic Tears (a spirit that cn assist you in battle) didn’t take as much damage. I wonder how that is possible when the Ash War Mimic Tears is a replicant of my character. I didn’t use her though–instead, I used Black Knife Tiche who has been upgraded to Plus 10. As for the shield, I equipped Carian Knight’s Shield upgraded to +23 (which I am pretty sure there are better shields but I don’t want to waste materials because upgrading items can be scarce) and my staff/weapon Carian Regal Scepter upgraded to its max.
When I see videos of people fighting Melania effortlessly, I am not fooled by the thought that they probably struggle a bit in their first few tries. It must have taken the player several tries until they got pretty good at it. No damage hit? Yeah, it requires skills, but also a lot of practice too. While that is fun and game to some people, I definitely don’t want to deal with her again in NG + ! I am just happy that I finally learned how to play the game, and that in itself is an achievement! On my next round, my journey with Elden Ring would be less rocky and more pleasant. I hope! Who am I kidding? The bosses would just get harder on NG+!!!
If Elden Ring was an arcade game, I would be heavily in debt. I would spend every quarter every time I died. Money does seem like the ruin of everything, and yet it’s part of the normalcy of everyday society. You chase the storm to find tranquility. You go into debt to become rich. Why are we humans full of contradiction? In fact, I have lost about 400k runes (rune is the video game currency) just from dying. And like a reoccurring nightmare, I try over and over until I get it right! Thank goodness it’s just a game; a game that is available on consoles and PC. I can play as many times as I want. I just need breath. I can also play it when no one is watching me. It’s the type of game that requires a lot of concentration and oddly, it’s addictive and rewarding! Thanks to its craftsmanship, which I will go into more detail at a later time!
Like last time, I am going to talk casually about Elden Ring. This approach might be better for my mental health. Sometimes once I write, I cannot stop writing. Sometimes ideas start shooting from all directions and I have no choice but to type it out before I forget. There were times when I spent the entire day writing and editing. Even when I was on the clock, I would sneak to jot down an idea on a piece of paper. I would also type it out in the WordPress app. I no longer have it on my phone for obvious reasons. If it’s not a passion for words then I don’t know what it is. It is more beneficial for me to make a writing schedule. This schedule helps me write for this blog. As a result, I can publish it promptly. I am still trying to work out something in my head. It does need some structure. So far, publishing on Wednesday (weekly) is what I aim for even if it’s writing at the last minute. It gives me enough breathing time for my brain to recharge. Yet with this much effort, I do fear being a victim of plagiarism. As we know, plagiarism is not just copying word for word. It also occurs when we copy or steal ideas without giving the writer the proper credit. I noticed this happens a lot in the gaming community, especially among the inexperienced writers. Sometimes it’s unintentional and sometimes it’s intentional. So I hesitate a little from putting too much writing effort into this blog as if I haven’t already. I think I have rambled on far too long. I want to be more casual in my approach to blogging. This blog post reflects that desire.
Anywayback to the main topic…
For those who are new to my blog, I believe that exploring in video game is a form of achievement. I can explore all day! In fact, you can check out my blog post here on Dark Souls: Explorating Is An Achievement. In this post, I dive into the subject a bit further. Meanwhile, as I speak, I am nearing the end of Elden Ring. Instead of rushing toward the credit’s scene, I went back to areas in the game. I had not explored these areas yet. I also chose to finish some questlines. If you haven’t played this game, pay close attention to the characters’ questlines. This focus is necessary if you want to understand the story. Unlike other RPGs, the extra quests enrich the story and its lore. Regretfully, I missed a few questlines. I thought beating bosses alone would reveal cinematic cutscenes. It would steer me in the right direction. Not in this game! I am looking forward to replaying it. I now have a walkthrough guide that I use as a reference. Thank you, Nairdalex, for the guidebook!
I like the coverI am studying to become an Elden Lord, LOL
I can see why it won Game of the Year in 2022. It might be the game of the year for me in 2023. This is because it might take the rest of the year to get everything in the game! FromSoftware did not fail its fans! With the upcoming release Fromsoftware’s game Armored Core VI which has a release date of Aug. 25, 2023 (less than three weeks)! But I might wait until I play the game like I did with Elden Ring. I was never the type who play games because it’s trending. When I complete Elden Ring, I probably move on to something lighter such as Strange Horticulture or read a book. I think I will read a book! Well, that’s all I have to say for this week.
P.S.
I don’t always doll up my avatar. Sometimes, I just wear whatever helps me survive even if it looks silly! 😀
You can’t see it from this angle, but I do have a cape. I am feeling like a true heroine!
Well, since my last adventure with Elden Ring, I was on my way to Mistwood Ruins. A lot has happened since. As usual, I cleared out a lot of areas and beat a few bosses. I am so overwhelmed with this game that I don’t have words to describe my emotions or thoughts.
Since the last screenshot taken of this map, I have discovered more areas below the surface while partaking in Ranni’s questline which in turn alters the ending of the game (I have not reached the ending yet, just some info I found on the internet)!
So far, I don’t know if that is a good thing. It always takes me a bit to process everything. I will provide my final input on the game when I do complete it. So stay tuned for that! Instead of writing out my thoughts, I will provide pictures from this game. I hope you enjoy it!
Purple SeaA Child of the CosmoThe Stars Beneath the SkyResting after defeating Valiant Gargoyle and TwinbladeI Have Become A WitchInside Nokstella, Eternal CityInner Order Nokstella Night SkyI beat Astel, Naturalborn of the VoidMore StarsThe Moon and the Elden Tree
The bored centaur (I’m referring to myself) hath returned to Elden Ring. I am resuming my gaming adventure where I left off a year ago. After the completion of Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age, I thought I would return to this game because I miss playing a soul’s game. To my surprise, all I need is a little break. I got addicted to the game as soon as I got some sort of lead.
For those who are new to my blog, I need a reason to explore or else there is no purpose for me to roam in open world games. Oh jeez, why does it sound like real life? I still don’t know quite exactly where to go–but meeting Rya caught my interest. Got to save the ‘damsel in distress’…or is she??? She is no princess. She is a servant! What can we gain from unattractive ladies? They might have hidden motives because beautiful women rarely approach people. They are like unattainable stars that you can only admire from afar (I hope you can tell I am joking).
Meeting Rya, the hunch back blonde for the first time. She is to the right.
She wanted her necklace back–stolen by Blackguard Big Boggart. Taking pity on her distress, I agreed to spend 1000 runes (money), which I didn’t find too difficult to spare. It’s not all that difficult to earn runes in this game. All you have to do is keep killing stuff that come across your path, which in my opinion is a barbaric thing to do. Not all NPCs will attack you, but we all know money talks. Because of my good deed, Rya found value in me. She invited me to Volcano Manor to meet her mistress. It was pure curiosity than flattery that made me proceed with this questline. I just didn’t know where to go in the game, and so I agreed to search for the two halves of the medallion which were located in Fort Haight West and Fort Faroth. I needed the medallion to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus that will take me to Volcano Manor. Anyway, after obtaining the pieces to the medallion, I was able to use the lift to reach Rya who was waiting for me.
Two halves are put together to make a medallion. It was no easy task to find them
But I was surprised to learn about the manor and the lady she serves. Should have not trusted her easily with that mischievous look of hers. She works for the proprietress, Lady Tanith of Valcono Manor, who in turn asked me to kill other Tarnished folks like me (I am still trying to wrap my head around why players are called Tarnished). Why would I do that? Why would I perform a murderous task for a handsome reward? It doesn’t sit well with me.
But we can be one happy little family…
For instance, my first task is to kill the NPC Old Knight Istavan in Stormhill. Upon researching on the internet, there is one thing I learned from this quest: You don’t have to kill the NPCs and complete the side quest requested by Lady Tanith. It doesn’t affect the main story. Maybe on my second playthrough, I would complete the questline to learn more about the lore and its story. Currently, I just don’t feel comfortable accepting such a dire task. I still need the NPCs as I don’t play with people online. If you kill them, you can’t summon them. Old Knight Istavan can help you defeat a boss in Coastal Cave early in the game. In the meantime, I just need to continue exploring, beat bosses, kill stuff, and hopefully, it will all make sense at the end because I don’t know what’s going on other than the fact there is a big giant yellow tree, and I feel like I am in a dream–doomed to roam it aimlessly.
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