00:09.20 fireheartmedia Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of Monster Dear Monster I am your host Leonard and today I am joined by my co-host Adam. 00:23.20 Adam Bucceri Hello Good to be here. 00:25.65 fireheartmedia Good to have you. We are resuming our coverage of Eldon ring the end. Don't worry. Um well Cameron's getting ready for his wedding and um, Dave is. Fine hopefully um, yes, not going to dock. Anybody's medical situation but let's just say that. Ah, if you're listening just wish a dayve recovery a quick speeding recovery because because becauses he's gonna need it. Um, but ah. Ah, we're going to transition into um, something that's ah irrecoverable which is our Eldon ring ah top because the lands between are completely. Ah, so. Ah, and ah, we're going to get to where we are going to cover the most lovely messed up area of of the game I think and that is ah lindell the royal capital um Adam ah. What do you think about? Lindell just as an overview just before we get into the discussion proper. 01:45.28 Adam Bucceri Yeah, so I I mean Eldon Ring is a huge huge game I feel like the royal capital of lindell is maybe the biggest legacy dungeon I I feel like it's just. Enormous and incredibly dense. Um, gorgeous to look at I think that you know comparing it to an Orlando is very deserved I think there's a lot of similarity between those None except this feels like it's. The size of None anarlonos all kind of layered on top of each other. Um, yeah I think this is a tremendous level very difficult, really challenging. Ah at the point of the game that you arrive at it. But there is a lot to love here. 02:38.18 fireheartmedia Yeah I would actually have to agree. So I've heard um and I tend to agree from people on ah online that um, Lindell is what if we took. And Alando and gave it the kind of density that central yarna had while keeping it aesthetically the same as an arlando and I think that that's a fairly apt comparison. How about you. 03:12.87 Adam Bucceri Yeah, no I think that's definitely warranted like just the density of the city streets and all the houses and all the little alleyways the nooks and crannies. You're constantly ducking in and out of buildings. Um, yeah, a lot of central yarnham Dna. Now that you mention it. 03:32.20 fireheartmedia Um, but of course before we can get into lindell we have to deal with a what? um, kind of a preliminary Bos fight which is actually kind of a weird faint because. Ah, you can't actually enter linddell until you have ah the ah great runes of 2 shardbearers. So if you get there really in early and you've only defeated what is it godrick the grafted. And haven't managed to get any other ah shardbearers. Ah, you will fight the draconic treson knoll and then be denied access into linndale proper. But we're going to just talk about the draconic treeson null and assume that you do in fact, have. It was too lord shard. 04:29.36 Adam Bucceri I have never gotten to this point in the game without having two great runes. It would be so incredibly discouraging to beat the draconic tree sentinel and then not be allowed to progress. Um. The None note that I have about the draconic tree sentinel is fuck this guy he is. He is a wall to a lot of players and and was very difficult for me. 04:56.79 fireheartmedia Um, let's see the draconic tre sentinel I got I was fairly overleed I don't know if you've ah you know as as as the new cast member I don't know if you've. Listen to our past episodes. But my none run at Eldon War Ring was a very bizarre very me focused run of ah rubbing up against the edges of the map as far as I was allowed to go without participating in the narrative. Or in most the gameplay main gameplay mechanics as much as humanly possible. Ah so I I did end up getting here after getting to um shards. But only after I realized that. Um I needed to have 2 of them in order to progress so I did get here before and ah and engaged the draconic tree sentinel and lost and said oh wait a minute i. Ah, the finger reader keeps telling me that I need to I'm just going to go back until with ah reala and and make sure that I can progress once I once I take care of this guy. Um, so for me I was using. Ah. Just a None damage shield and the bloody heli ah, great rapier. Um, and because it's ah, technically a spear as well. I I spent a lot of the game holding up block and then stabbing things until they bled to death ah with with ah with my weapons. So this boss fight was ah. 06:50.85 Adam Bucceri Sure. 06:59.96 fireheartmedia Difficult without being as difficult as I think you found it. 07:04.18 Adam Bucceri I mean yeah, that's very impressive to me that ah because every time so to to paint a word picture. This is the the very none golden guy that you see once you get your Bethesda open world moment. The tree sentinel. From the the very opening moments of the game. This is a variation on that guy where instead of having the the halberd he has this enormous dragon claw. Ah the weapon is called the dragon's great claw and it's like. 07:43.10 fireheartmedia Yes. 07:43.43 Adam Bucceri Havel's hammer ah basically ah, slightly more cooked and like it's got a little pointy bit on it. But you know that's the kind of thing to imagine and it hits so hard and just absolutely ruins my. Stamina if I try to block through it. So your your ability to block through it and then still have enough stamaa stamina to counter like I don't think I would have been able to to do that. So kudos to you for that being a successful strategy. 08:14.11 fireheartmedia Yeah I devoted a lot of resources into and I think by this time I also had Redon's ah ah shard which is max health mas f p and max. Damn us so I was actively one of my strategies. In fact, was to actively um, let enemies break my guard with the final hit of like a combo attack because I knew there was enough cool down between that. Shield break and and their next string of attacks that I would be able to get stem up enough to roll away. 09:02.78 Adam Bucceri Nice Yeah, that sounds like ah a pretty good strategy. Um, this guy was a real piece of work for me because for for a number of reasons his great claw hits really really Hard. He's really mobile because of the horse he does lightning damage like that red lightning that we see later on because he's got the the dragon association and his horse breathes fire so you need to be specked for like 3 different types of damage that this guy can do. 09:29.40 fireheartmedia Yeah. 09:38.40 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 09:40.97 Adam Bucceri And ah, just really, really aggressive. 09:44.95 fireheartmedia Yeah, ah were you were you doing this fight on your own. 09:51.58 Adam Bucceri Ah, the None time that I fought him I believe that was when I had a friend who was we were we were kind of tagging back and forth summoning each other just as you know, ah turning it into co-op basically. 10:05.75 fireheartmedia Um, in. 10:08.11 Adam Bucceri And we spent a good 90 minutes like summoning each other trying to to get this to work and eventually like a combination of confusing him with agro trying to proc poison on him. And then just you know whatever we could do to to chip away at him finally brought him down. 10:26.15 fireheartmedia Okay, because I don't do co-op in from soft games I in fact, almost exclusively play all of them offline None run but I was taking advantage of the spirit ashes and I believe. 10:35.80 Adam Bucceri E. 10:45.14 fireheartmedia It's a battlemage. There is a battle Mag Spirit Ash that I was using because um, magic cast or spirit a astros are really good at drawling an enemy agro and I think it's just based totally on the fact that they can. 10:59.30 Adam Bucceri Things. 11:04.81 fireheartmedia Do a fair amount of damage from range and that will always pull in the agro because I was using moonvale but between like the bloody Hillis and and and such I was also using moon vale as like my secondary before it ultimately became my primary. But yeah I was using my um I think he was fully upgraded at this point I had done a lot of stuff once again I had rubbed against all the world edges I could before getting here. So um I I think he was close to if not. 11:36.25 Adam Bucceri E. 11:43.31 fireheartmedia Maxed out um spirit ash level and I was yeah it was just kind of a game of like ah pulling agro between the 2 2 of us. 11:55.37 Adam Bucceri Gotcha Yeah um, but he's definitely tricky and I've heard from a few people about him being a wall so it's definitely similar to the way that from has gated you know done soft gates. 12:11.32 fireheartmedia Um, in a yeah. 12:12.85 Adam Bucceri For things where I'm thinking of you know, like the Titan Knight demon at the gate of darkwood. Ah, you know it's just very clearly giving you a sign of like hey are you ready because this is good to is going to get serious here. 12:23.76 fireheartmedia Right? Um, and of course the I think the the most interesting aspect of that is that it's a big lie because you get here and you get the softgate and you're like oh we're at the capitol where. I Mean the game's been big and long so far I Guess we're close to the end now and that's that's a lie.. It's a big.. It's a big untruth. It's a big miyazaki fraud as I like to call it. Um, Ah, which is yes. 12:45.40 Adam Bucceri Um, let's let's be real chicanery was about like yeah. 12:59.92 fireheartmedia Yes. 13:02.42 Adam Bucceri Ah, it it feels climactic when you arrive it definitely feels like you're rushing towards a climax of some sort except for that nagging bit of the map that still is it filled in. Oh wonder Wonder what's up with that. 13:13.17 fireheartmedia Yeah, it's just extra content. It's a for all the people that want more stuff you know after you know to get to go further to to to stretch to find the law it. It's all law. That's all law region I mean I'm not. 13:26.69 Adam Bucceri With. 13:32.72 fireheartmedia Technically not lying. It is in fact, all lore region but that's not what its actual purpose serves. 13:38.69 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um, but yeah, ah it's it's certainly feels momentous when you get here again like that an alono moment of reaching a turning point you know compared to. How decrepit and ruined storm vae castle is or how you know, weird and mysterious. Ryan Lucarria is this feels properly like the seat of power of the lands between. 14:10.43 fireheartmedia Yeah I mean I mean the tree it's there. It's in your face. It's inescapable. The inescapable the as as as up to now inescapable tree that has been. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles away is now fully inescapable. It. It dominates. Everything It is the the center and the seat of of a power and and we have arrived. 14:40.64 Adam Bucceri Yeah, so so once you beat the drcotic tree sentinel and you finally get in. You know you take an elevator up and you get your first vista. Ah you get None of 2 vistas. That ah, reveal themselves and the first it shows just how close you've gotten to the tree because the tree is literally filling your entire field of view when you get there and it's also showing the giant split. 15:01.97 fireheartmedia And hit. 15:08.62 Adam Bucceri That runs up the trunk with an enormous door that leads inside the tree itself which is of course your destination for this area. 15:12.54 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 15:18.41 fireheartmedia Yeah, it's great I Love it. I Actually love it specifically for the split because once again, you've seen the tree from literally every single vantage point outside external vantage point that you've had. In the game and ah you get here and you're like oh look at that. There's a big old weird split in that ah otherwise resplendent ah Golden tree that I haven't been able to see as of yet unless you open a chest in the weeping Peninsula. At the top of a tower but we're not going to talk about that because that's a big old trick and a lie to make you feel bad that you can't proceed any further. But yeah, this is most likely the None time that anyone's seen the split in that trick. 15:57.49 Adam Bucceri Um. 16:08.68 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and if you've managed to get this far thinking that like the aired tree was a symbol of health and power like you know this this for me at least was definitely a wakeup call of like oh this tree can be hurt like this is a wound. 16:27.20 fireheartmedia In I I was so you know because once again, ah ah, rubbing against edges grabbing up as much stuff as I can looking at every reading every single item description. 16:27.55 Adam Bucceri In the aired tree. 16:44.13 Adam Bucceri And. 16:45.85 fireheartmedia I'm just like oh this is oh yeah, this makes sense just ah, it's ah ah, only a thing that people in the capital See. It's just another layer of your lies the Golden order I I see what's going on here. It's not some perfect. Thing. There's actually an entry way into it but and to be fair, they do a really good job of masking it because they also put like this very elaborate Very lovely, very striking temple in front of it. It's like yeah no see whether this is deliberate. Oh We always intended it to look like this this big split with as intended working properly and I'm like yeah I I played I've played every single from soft game for the last. Over a decade I know wouldn't win ah when a game and a narrative is lying to me and everything about this feels like a big old lie. 17:51.66 Adam Bucceri I did have a brief moment where I was like is this like anarlando like is the aired tree like actually dead and it's only an illusion that it's still alive like that would be wild. 18:04.27 fireheartmedia E. 18:07.71 Adam Bucceri Not true of course, but ah like that was definitely the level that I was like the mindset that I was entering into it. 18:12.55 fireheartmedia Right? Because that's I mean of course you of course you are despite it being a new Ip ah Eldon Ring is for people who have played enough from soft games is. Essentially a greatest hits of front stop game mechanically and narratively and aesthetically so yeah, it's not unfair to think to yourself is it is that is everything a big old. My is is this just a big ruse because i. Feel like it might be but I also feel like and this could be legit and yeah, it turns out to be legit, but it's also still a big lie because Miyazaki trickery. 19:02.68 Adam Bucceri It's basically a big old lie just not in that specific way. Yeah, but um, but yeah, the the path takes you down a little bit further and then you get like the None vista reveal which so is like. 19:04.62 fireheartmedia Right. 19:17.95 Adam Bucceri More of the city proper and it's sprawled out and it is beautiful. It is this white city with these gleaming Golden Roofs like it looks really amazing. Ah, and then dominating the landscape is this petrified dead Dragon that's. 19:20.45 fireheartmedia Oh. 19:26.77 fireheartmedia Yes. 19:35.56 Adam Bucceri Brawled out I mean it's the size of a skyscraper and it's literally draped over multiple levels of the city. Um, it's really striking and dramatic and also there is this impossibly huge twisted spear. 19:42.83 fireheartmedia Um, yep. 19:54.53 Adam Bucceri That's like lying not far from it. Um, and I have no idea who or what could possibly have wielded that spear and like what the story is behind it but like it's an an incredibly striking image. 19:55.73 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 20:07.55 fireheartmedia Yeah, it's Great. It's ah it's one of once again, it's one of those things where it it's It's just a it just it's just a nice little bit of flavor where you see this city and you know there's a part of me that thinks that this is um. Fromsoft kind of apologizing for how little of the ringed city in Dark Souls 3 you were allowed to actually explore so they kind of devoted themselves to okay hey hey everyone hates that that we didn't let them do that and that. 20:35.98 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 20:46.23 fireheartmedia It was all dressing. Ah so let's make an Orlando um but bigger and prettier and and also make it kind of look like it a ring city. So here's a big dead dragon. And a giant spear and ah will let people do whatever story crafting they want in their own heads. 21:08.38 Adam Bucceri Yeah, both linddell and its sister city that ah what is spoilery. Um, both of them are do evoke the ring city. Ah, but I like both of them a lot more than the ring city. 21:23.77 fireheartmedia Yeah, yes, a lot of people like I don't I mean yeah I was I was looking for narrative not game play. So I hate I I was not disappointed by the lack of exploration of the ring city. But yes I have. 21:31.48 Adam Bucceri Um. 21:41.51 fireheartmedia I am I am very much aware of the fact that a lot of people because I think it was really the None time in in fronts off history that they presented a vista that you could not actually ultimately interact with and I can understand disappointment with that. 21:57.85 Adam Bucceri Yeah, ah should we get into Lindell proper. So as you are making your way in. You're kind of running along this outer ring like this this. 22:04.44 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 22:17.35 Adam Bucceri Ah I guess wall like the surrounding wall that surrounds the cap and you're on these little ramparts and you start hearing like this little music and it turns out that it's not ambient music. It's diagetic because there are these little goobers. 22:19.70 fireheartmedia And. 22:36.28 Adam Bucceri With their like Golden Kazoos and they're just planned little tunes as you come in. Ah these these creatures are called the Oracle Envoys I have no idea what they are. They seem possibly related to the albaorics to me. Ah, they have kind of a similar energy. But. 22:57.45 fireheartmedia I do believe let's see if I can pull that up because I do I think there. Yes, a monstrous band of musicians who employ sacred arts it is said that when Oracle Envoys appear playing their pipes. They do so to herald the arrival of a new god or age. 23:27.37 Adam Bucceri Oh that's fascinating. Ah yeah, in that case I continue to have no idea what's up with these weird little gooverbers. Ah they are round little rolly pullly guys imagine like ah what is it like the weebles wobble but don't fall down. 23:45.10 fireheartmedia Yes. 23:47.22 Adam Bucceri Like that silhouette they're like little bowling pins ah wrapped in these like white cloths. Ah they have incredibly uncannily pale skin. Ah, and when they move they just literally roll. 24:03.25 fireheartmedia Um, get. 24:05.80 Adam Bucceri Ah, it's very funny. They're incredibly goofy goofy designs. Um, and then they have their big Golden Kazoos that they're playing and when they spot you they play a tune into it and then a bubble explodes you. 24:19.95 fireheartmedia Yeah, um, so my first thought when I saw them ah was oh that's interesting and you you encountered the first one that just continues playing and I'm like oh I guess these things are nonaggressive. But then that. 24:32.18 Adam Bucceri 15 24:36.41 fireheartmedia Immediately goes out the window but looking at them I'm like hyper focused unlike all the imagery and everything because that's what I do whenever I run through a from soft game at the beginning I'm like trying to piece things together I'm like you know what these look like these look like. Dandelion seed pods without the little feather top. They look like little seed people and I'm like did these come from the tree are these like direct things created by the Earth Tree. What's going on with this um and then they started blowing bubbles at me and I was like oh that's. That's silly. But now I I have to kill you So I I'm not going to think about what your purpose is all that much anymore. Um, but yeah, they're great. They're charming. There're different sizes of them. They're 3 different sizes of them. They so. 25:25.29 Adam Bucceri Um, ah I love the giant one so much. It's very funny. 25:33.19 fireheartmedia Yeah they're just once again, it's just it's like it's very inauspicious as the none thing aggressive thing that you see once you enter Lindell. After I like compared to fighting the daconic tresonal. This is the first enemy type that you run into and it's just this these goofy little fan playing pipes and I'm like what what is going on here. What's I I don't know I don't know. 26:07.22 Adam Bucceri I I think that that really speaks to like 1 of my values with Eldon Ring is um, its sense of rhythm where like the proximity between those 2 things I don't think is a coincidence where it just has this very high octane. 26:14.88 fireheartmedia A. 26:24.24 Adam Bucceri Preamble fight and then it allows you to be eased in with this kind of you know, relaxed pace. Ah with these lesser threats and allows you to focus on how strange the enemy designs is and the vistas around you and like. 26:31.52 fireheartmedia What. 26:42.79 Adam Bucceri Ah, it kind of eases you into the level in the way that I Really appreciate. 26:46.37 fireheartmedia Yeah I have to agree and it's also kind of important to say like if you've been like going if you've been exploring everywhere. These are like the None and. Most arresting new enemy designs that you've seen in hours. 27:07.83 Adam Bucceri Yeah up until this point there's nothing like them and I mean there's lots of like weird dorky guys in this game which I love but like it is still really striking to stumble on these guys. Ah for the None time. 27:15.68 fireheartmedia Yeah. 27:26.00 Adam Bucceri Really delighted by this. Ah this kind of reveal and this whole first stretch. 27:30.62 fireheartmedia Yeah, agreed, um, and and then we we we ah exit from the ramparts into various dwellings ah along the wall and ah, most of them are filled with plants and cisterns. 27:41.56 Adam Bucceri E. 27:50.20 fireheartmedia Ah, which you if you're paying attention from from the outer wall battle scarred region outside of Lindell are the same weird cisterns that you've seen on stakes and if you've watched that very elaborate um lord the rings. Esque. Ah um, animated sequence that they put out before the game release. Ah you knew they were firing out of Lindell and ah this is these are like perfumers workshops. 28:23.26 Adam Bucceri Yeah, the perfumers have a big presence in Lindell and um, kind of notably I don't know if this has been mentioned in previous episodes. But there's kind of 2 flavors of perfumers. There's like the uncorrupted and the corrupted versions. 28:26.60 fireheartmedia Um. 28:40.50 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 28:42.84 Adam Bucceri And these ones are ah the uncorrupted ones they are cleanly dressed they look like they are part of like the the Royal I don't know ah ensemble here. 28:56.20 fireheartmedia Um, and. 28:58.30 Adam Bucceri And that they clearly have a place and a reputation within the city itself. 29:00.79 fireheartmedia Yes, and and they're every their workshops are everywhere. We're constantly going into buildings where filled with like plant life. Notebooks like I said the cisterns and and full of perfumers themselves. Um, some of them. Ah notably checking in on the numerous royals are that are they royals I Forget which ones are royals or just citizens are the citizens. The really tall ones with the long next like ah was a dautrick. 29:39.16 Adam Bucceri Ah, Gus stock is that it. 29:40.25 fireheartmedia Um, from gostop there. We go gostop from um storm bale. 29:48.26 Adam Bucceri Yeah I'm trying to remember exactly what each enemy is called. Ah. 29:57.19 fireheartmedia Um, because there's there's a there's um, ah. 30:02.30 Adam Bucceri Yeah, so those guys the guys who look like gostock are simply referred to as commoners. 30:04.72 fireheartmedia Okay. But yeah, they're they're attending to commoners. They're kind of just hanging around doing stuff until you catch their attention and and they do their perfumer nonsense which I never stopped being annoyed that by because they're. Perfume stuff hits like a truck and never stops hitting like a truck. No matter what level of them you interact with but I was I was wearing light armor throughout my entire None playthrough so that's probably the problem. 30:42.17 Adam Bucceri Yeah, they have a strange rhythm which is difficult to to get used to there also are just scattered throughout this whole area. A large number of the pages. Um, that's PAGE the the little 30:54.16 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 31:00.73 Adam Bucceri Like assistant guys. They've got like a rapier and a crossbow which is equipped with perfumer bolts Those those little guys are so tough like they pudge way above their weight class. Ah they're fast and I would always try to guard counter them. 31:08.15 fireheartmedia Yep yep. 31:17.84 fireheartmedia Um I was always um, absolutely in their face because when they do their 3 bolt barrage that was just it no matter what. 31:19.63 Adam Bucceri But they would always jab me before I could pull it off. 31:33.62 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 31:35.26 fireheartmedia Those perfume bolts are are are devastating or at least were devastating to me and always ah know anything to be perfectly. Honest. 31:45.54 Adam Bucceri Yeah, they're no joke even just one of them is like a real threat. 31:50.75 fireheartmedia Yeah, and there are some rooms that have like 2 or 3 of them and and there's one room that has one just playing a flute that's playing a ah if you've played secaro playing a familiar melody because. 31:56.11 Adam Bucceri Yeah, yeah. 32:09.55 fireheartmedia They are li it that the None playing the flute is literally just playing the song that the miss nobles play ine and I I went back to double check it because I was like that sounds like that song from Secaro and yes, yes, it is. It's just. Transplanted here into eld ring and I'm like all right I don't know what you're trying to tell me from soft other than I've I've started I've started forming a very crazy theory ah that I'm not going to even ah you know try to say. 32:40.36 Adam Bucceri I think. 32:47.35 fireheartmedia Is is anything real but just for my own weird Headcanon I'm like is it possible that like everything outside the lands between is just all the other from soft games just other worlds that are the tarnish are the tarnest really just from other from soft games. And then being pulled back into their own whole new universe to solve the problem there because it's the yeah, the use of that song again is just too weird and clearly wasn't an oversight it. It. It feels like it made something. But. I'm not going to even attempt to say that that is what's going on like I said just fun little head cannon stuff for myself. 33:33.68 Adam Bucceri Imagine being like a refugee and you're like finally I've escaped from Boitaria I get to live somewhere that doesn't have the valley of defilement and then you end up in the lands between and you're like God Damn it. 33:46.16 fireheartmedia I mean I mean think think about I thought yeah think about you, you're not even that but you're just descended from somebody that got kicked out of the lands between you don't know that and exists. Some myth weird ethereal plane and then so and then one day your eyes start glowing gold and it's like yeah you got to come back and solve the problem. We want you dirty tarnish to come back Now. It's like what what's going on and you get pulled into. A net you you are forced to walk through another fog wall into another land that is irreparably damaged. Yeah, it's a nightmare's ah that's that's the theme of all of these fre soft caves. 34:22.66 Adam Bucceri See. 34:32.41 fireheartmedia Is that existence is a nightmare and everyone would be happier if existence stopped. 34:37.72 Adam Bucceri Yeah, by the way you should avoid callid. Avoid what? Oh no, oh no, no, no, no. Ah yeah, that would be terrible. My ah, my theory is always yeah. 34:44.41 fireheartmedia Yeah. 34:56.77 Adam Bucceri Every you know it's often that we want to assign meaning to every little thing and I'm in no way calling you out. Ah I just feel like the the occams Razor answer is that someone was like it'd be fun if they were playing something and then they had you know. 35:01.83 fireheartmedia Oh yeah. 35:11.81 Adam Bucceri Missed http://nobleflute.mpthree and they just dragged and dropped in there and like yeah, we'll put replace it with something something else at some time and then they just didn't ah. 35:19.17 fireheartmedia Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, no, and nobody to feel like you were calling me out like I said I don't believe this I just think it's fun to think of it that way like as as you know as the greater of. From soft multiverse I'm like I'm always looking to assign weird meaning I even said to myself. Oh man, you know would be real fun. Real fun. Update to the ashes of area. Anddell Dlc and dartol three what if you just. 35:35.41 Adam Bucceri E. 35:50.66 fireheartmedia What they just did a little minor update and when you went back The painter's painting was done and it was just the lands between what if what if that, what if that happened. 35:58.78 Adam Bucceri But I mean I'm still riding high on father gascone from the Bloodborne beta saying umbasa. 36:07.30 fireheartmedia Um, right? Yeah exactly? Um, yeah, um, but yeah, the ramparts and the outer city. They give you a taste of what you're dealing with and it's ah it's um, pages. And then we're getting um Lindell soldiers proper and then they they hit really hard and they like their lightning. 36:30.32 Adam Bucceri So there's kind of 2 tiers of the soldiers. There's like the the foot soldiers which are kind of just the recolored kind of stock soldiers that we see everywhere. You know they they have the appropriate colored tapper to signal their allegiance and they do some lightning stuff. 36:40.30 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 36:48.19 Adam Bucceri Ah, but that's about it. They're not too bad, but then there's the like the royal knights and those guys are brutal. They come in many delicious flavors including 2 handed great sword who will not break his poise or stagger for anything. 36:52.90 fireheartmedia Yeah. 37:05.71 Adam Bucceri Ah, and great bow which is absolutely devastating and I found those guys really consistently hard like even 1 on one like it never felt like it was a sherbet to to fight those guys and they roman paacts. 37:23.79 fireheartmedia Yep I was playing as bandit my None time through so I was ah utilizing bows frequently to draw Agro and man. If. There's any area of the game where you just want to draw Agro and deal one on one with with somebody This is it and I and not to pat myself on the back but it did work out spectacularly and using my ah bow and. Helix Combo ah Shield and Helix combo. Ah they didn't give me as much trouble as I was aware that they were probably giving other players because yeah, they hit really hard and I was. Like if I got hit twice I was done um and the trick was to just not get hit. 38:15.20 Adam Bucceri Yeah. Yeah I would say that if there's None strategy. It's do a good job and like simply simply do not get hit because because otherwise it's going to be bad. It's they're real tricky. Ah I think the central yarnum. 38:31.65 fireheartmedia Yeah, yeah. 38:39.80 Adam Bucceri Comparison is really apt because yeah, they're they're wandering around there. There are little patrols. There are little groups and then um, maybe not here on the outskirts. Um, but certainly later on there are also guys with trumpets who will summon. 38:56.40 fireheartmedia Oh yeah. 38:56.84 Adam Bucceri Everyone an earshot to kind of converge on you and ah yeah, you you I think most people are going to be spending a good amount of the time sneaking or running because ah trying to clear this area is a real challenge. 39:07.42 fireheartmedia Um, okay. Um, and I will say because I I am running through Eldon ring again with a different character and a slightly different build I decided to not deal with the. Ah, internals or the city streets. Ah my second run and ah, really just jumped off of the rampart onto the rooftops. ah ah, ah as soon as I got ah into the city proper and then just navigated through the rooftops. Ah. Across the rooftops to get to the central promenade the main street. Um, this time because all you really have to deal with up. There are imps. 40:00.44 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and I mean I think that's a really great point is that um the city has a lot of verticality and it's very layered and as a result you can start off quite high up and then just jump from rooftop to rooftop and get really far. 40:08.27 fireheartmedia Here. 40:18.84 Adam Bucceri Ah, without ever having to touch the ground and without having to engage these guys. Um, it's it's all labyrinthine and so it's difficult to to know where you're going blind and it's easy to get turned around or get caught in a dead end. But once you know where you're going. You can really. 40:21.40 fireheartmedia Yeah, come. 40:31.57 fireheartmedia Isn't it. 40:38.60 Adam Bucceri Ah, cover some distance pretty quick. 40:38.22 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, yeah, it's great. Love it. 40:46.53 Adam Bucceri Yeah, so as you mentioned you mentioned like running past and getting to that main street and when you do um, one of my favorite things like None um one of I think one of my favorite field bosses. That you encounter because there's not really another field boss that you encounter in a legacy dungeon like this you're walking down this main street and there's no enemies around and you're just kind of taking it in and plotting your route and then all of a sudden hurdling like a meteor out of the sky. An aired tree avatar rockets down and just impacts into the street and now you're fighting a boss. Ah right in the middle of it. 41:31.29 fireheartmedia Yes, yes, and this is a this is a fully formed Golden Ur Tree sentinel it is um, perfect unlike all the minor ones that you've encountered once again. It's just a stray demon with a fancy collar and no head. Ah but I love it. I Love when they reuse assets and reuse ah character skeletons and I just remember seeing it the None time and seeing its attacks and I'm like oh if that. Oh you made it. You made it into it kind of was like the like like like from soft characters getting Smash invitations to be transmogrified into something else in in a new game because ah because I know you've got no. Note about the ulcerated trees period and I'm just like ah man they made the pus of man better worse better I don't know Yes, they did In fact, make it more and they made more of them. 42:34.39 Adam Bucceri Um, they made it more. 42:41.11 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 42:42.70 fireheartmedia But yeah, it's the the the trees that no is great I Love five I Do actually love fighting them. Um, because it's like finding an old familiar friend that you know got into shape. A little a little more.. It's like fighting. It's like fighting ah getting into a fight with ah iron f Alexander. It's like ah man you you know you you did it you you tried but I'm still going to beat you up. 43:10.40 Adam Bucceri Yeah, it's I'm I'm similarly very fond of that you know I'm sure that there are some people out there who think that it's cheap or lazy to do that. But it it has a sense of recognition and familiarity where it feels like an old friend is showing up. 43:26.60 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 43:28.71 Adam Bucceri Ah, yeah I like the air tree avatars quite a bit. Um, 1 thing that distinguishes this fight from many of the other air tree avatar fights that you do you don't got no horse here. It's cramped quarters and you don't have your high mobility. 43:41.99 fireheartmedia Nope. 43:48.45 Adam Bucceri Which is not really a problem for a lot of their attacks. You know their big attacks. They hit hard. But if you're familiar with the stray demon or the Asylum demon. You know it's familiar. Um, but they have that attack where they stab their staff into the ground and then the little motes of light. 44:05.71 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 44:07.81 Adam Bucceri Start blasting you ah that can be really tricky to avoid without a horse. 44:11.75 fireheartmedia Yeah I would just maneuver the combat area ride around that turned over carriage and then just use that as cover whenever they pop that because I was just like I'm not rolling. 44:22.13 Adam Bucceri So. 44:29.89 fireheartmedia I'm not rolling out the way of this I was I found myself being far more aggressive in Eldon ring than I think I had been in any from soft game minus like saro and blood warm because those are like the big main mechanics of like get in there. 44:46.13 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 44:48.51 fireheartmedia But like as far of like a sword and board from soft game I really did find myself like actually just like I'm going to get as far into your hitbox as humanly possible because I actually feel safer there than I do like. Three feet away from you. 45:07.28 Adam Bucceri Yeah for for something like the the avatar um getting right in there and getting right under. It can be a winning strategy. Yeah, um. 45:16.69 fireheartmedia Um, if. 45:24.88 Adam Bucceri Anything else to say about this kind of Main street. 45:26.70 fireheartmedia Um, oh yeah, the None thing that I'll say about it is I apparently missed the um um lever to open the gate to that to a very special area that we've seen all gain but in a ruined state. Ah um. That is at the far end of the main street because I only discovered it my second playthrough and I was like wait. There's a there's actually a way to open this this gate I I had no idea I I just didn't know that's the only thing that I'll say is that. I just there's this stuff that I missed the for my none time playing through and I'm like how do I miss this stuff. How do I get a plat in this game and miss miss so many things. Um, yeah, that's the only thing that I have to say. 46:13.43 Adam Bucceri Yeah, yeah, again, it's difficult to to understate how huge this area is like there. There is just a lot here and a lot of density. Um, yeah. So you continue running around um at some point you end up in this large desolate courtyard ah to me it felt like it was filled with Sand or Ash I wasn't quite sure how to interpret it. There's like some ruined toppled buildings in there and ah. 46:38.37 fireheartmedia Um, mena. 46:51.72 Adam Bucceri When you head in there. You know I for one got the like my boss arena sense was tingling and ah sure enough 1 of the ulcerated tree spirits erupts out. Um, again continuing. 46:55.58 fireheartmedia Ah. 47:06.95 Adam Bucceri Like this feeling that the aired tree itself knows you're here and is consciously fighting against you. Um, but the the ulcerated tree spirits. Ah as you mentioned you know, ah very clearly related to the pus of Man. Um. And share like a similar corruption vibe. So like even at the base of the aired tree like that corruption is Present. You know the the whole thing as beautiful as it looks like there is trouble in paradise. 47:33.58 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 47:41.11 fireheartmedia Right? And and the game you know, just depending depending on what items you've acquired and mainly through Talismans The game is constantly telling you like man there once was a time of plenty with the Earth tree and and now. Now its blessings are a few and far between and i' unlike that sounds like decline hey anyone declined anyone else getting a decline vibe from this the deic figure of your central Ri Legit in this tree based theocracy That. You're all super super into anyone getting that now. It's oh oh,, it's a it's the air tree works in the serious way. Ah, okay, cool cool I got. Thanks. 48:22.84 Adam Bucceri Today. 48:30.23 Adam Bucceri Yeah, ah there is a relevant item description that I I'm trying to find that says something very similar where like the light of the air tree like shone brilliantly. But only for a short while. 48:47.56 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, it's like yeah hey get what this thing is perfect right? right? Perfect infallible thing. 48:50.90 Adam Bucceri And. 48:56.10 Adam Bucceri Well, the thing is that like but the thing is like the timescale of this world is is difficult to fully comprehend like it could be like that very short time that is referenced could be centuries of like. 49:06.17 fireheartmedia Ah, yeah. Um, yes. 49:14.63 Adam Bucceri Prosperity of them successfully utilizing and harnessing the power of the air tree but like a big part of this game is just peeling back those centuries and realizing just how deep it goes and just how new the the Golden order. And everything that surrounds it is. 49:35.85 fireheartmedia Yeah, I'm always just I've all once again, this is this is all from Soft's doing I'm just like any defic figure in a piece of media I'm just like. Is there a rock can you make a rock that you can't live because if you can't then I'm going to call into question just how the ethic you actually are and surprise. A lot of of characters and a lot of de figures in fronts off games are really bad at making rocks that they can't lift. 50:11.76 Adam Bucceri Well I think you know talking about like these how all of the fromsoft games kind of rhyme. You know that was something that really struck me in Bloodborne specifically because in the previous games. You know we were killing gods and doing all that stuff but it felt. A part of the dark fantasy genre in Bloodborne you're hunting Eldridge Gods and I'm like oh in a lot of interpretations of this media. These things would not be able to be killed but they hear in this world like they are still flesh and blood. 50:33.69 fireheartmedia Yes. 50:40.40 fireheartmedia Um, right. Um, and. 50:47.38 Adam Bucceri Everything I don't know is is much more tangible and prone to being sick and dying and can be killed in a way that like I don't often associate with like these larger than life Dfic figures in. 51:05.86 fireheartmedia Yeah I'm a big lovecraft Mark and I agree with yes in typical lovecraft media killing an elder god would not be a thing and is not a thing. 51:06.81 Adam Bucceri And fiction. 51:21.39 fireheartmedia Um, and I kind of like the way that they handle that in Bloodborne which is like yeah the killing them that like the face to face killing of these things. That's not the problem. The trick is figuring out how to get to them because they've extracted themselves out of the physical tangible world. You need to you basically need to go to the dreamlands and put a bullet between their eyes. 51:44.54 Adam Bucceri Yeah, like did you kill them or did you just kill an astral projection. but ah but yeah ah I mean that continues in in Bloodborne ah or not blood born in Eldon ring as all of these. 51:48.79 fireheartmedia To write. 52:03.42 Adam Bucceri Incredibly powerful things. Ah ultimately are mortal and can be slain including the air tree. 52:06.26 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 52:13.10 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, um, yeah, Oh yeah, um I guess we should ah um, talk about the upper city where we're going back. But. We you know we made our way down to the the street level. But there's still like a fair amount of interesting things to be found in the the upper City region which is right by, um, a very familiar building. Yes. 52:50.23 Adam Bucceri Ah, which familiar building are you referring to? oh oh I know the familiar building you're referring to yes. Um, so as you're going around ah at some point. 52:53.22 fireheartmedia Um, the yeah. 53:07.90 Adam Bucceri You'll navigate to kind of I'm referring to it as the upper city. This place is so huge. It's difficult to to verbally describe exactly where everything is in relationship to each other but you are heading up ah kind of towards the petrified dragon. And there's a part of it that you can drop off down towards and you enter a building from a ah maybe an entrance that you don't recognize and so it takes a few moments before it clicks but it is a very familiar building because the building that you enter. Is roundtable hold you found the physical quote unquote real version of it. You know again very much like finding the hunter's dream in Bloodborne um, and as to be expected. This is an abandoned. 53:53.14 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 54:01.95 Adam Bucceri Version of it. Ah, the the roundtable hold that you visit is not the same. It is a projection or a another version of it that seems to exist possibly outside of space and time. Yeah, you know, ah. But the physical version that you find is full of all kinds of interesting goodies and neat stuff and like that creeping sense of familiarity ah struck me pretty soon. But then. A real moment of delight and confirmation was finding the place where hugue the blacksmith is normally at and you find a couple of items. Ah you find his hammer and you find the sanctified Wet Blade. So. 54:49.83 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 54:52.76 Adam Bucceri Ah, just like really reinforcing that. Yup, this is where you think it is this is what it is. 54:58.48 fireheartmedia Yeah, it's great I love it. Yeah I I wasn't expecting them to do it again after blood born. Ah but I I was glad that they did. Um, yeah, it's it's real while that that they. And yeah because I always found myself I'm just like well okay, cool what purpose did the real version of this building serve because you you go into the room. The main room where the None fingers are in the astral ground table hold. 55:28.33 Adam Bucceri Can. 55:33.70 fireheartmedia And there's just the phone throne and I'm like ah is this where where god free is godfre the queen americas actual None husband? Yeah I'm like is this like was this his place was this. 55:43.56 Adam Bucceri Yeah, Godfrey the first Ellen Lord 55:53.90 fireheartmedia Is his realm of control because you get you've got a lord throne just like yeah we'll find later on in in the area and I'm just like what was this building before because you you know you know what? the hunter's workshop was even when you find the abandoned version like the. There isn't a difference here, but there's no, it's the the roundtable hold that Gideon ah offni air seemingly commands is clearly does not serve the same purpose as as the original and I I find myself. Wondering what did what purpose did this building serve at the beginning. 56:36.20 Adam Bucceri Yeah, it raises a lot of questions. Um and it clearly due to something that happens later in the game. It clearly does have a connection to the aired tree like the the version that you have been traveling to this whole time. 56:48.47 fireheartmedia Um, and. 56:55.79 Adam Bucceri Is not wholly separate. Um, while also being very clearly not this physical location. Um I guess I had always assumed that the throne did belong to to cer Gideon Offnir just because. 56:57.51 fireheartmedia Right. 57:11.23 fireheartmedia And. 57:15.33 Adam Bucceri Um, for Bloodborne reasons you know where it's just like oh Garmin is kind of the the main figurehead at the workshop so he probably was the person who ran the physical workshop but that raises all kinds of questions about you know. If Gideon is tarnished then he was banished from the lands between for so long you know has he been alive this whole time is this was he serving under Godfrey. You know, centuries ago was and then also you know who created. The the dream version of roundtable hold that we find now you know where where what is the source of that is so there's a lot of interesting questions that I don't have answers to and it's entirely possible. 57:54.79 fireheartmedia Right. 58:03.82 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 58:08.80 Adam Bucceri There are lo theories out there that address it that I'm simply not aware of I'm content to let it be a weird mystery like it feels really cool and evocative and consistently when from does this this is like 1 of my favorite tricks that they do. 58:21.60 fireheartmedia Agreed like I said I like I like pulling threads even though the threads only mean they only mean something to me and I I Also don't advertise them as being canon or True. Just. Always the stuff that I like like thinking about that's the the evocative stuff that I I don't get answers to and I'm like how can I tap this together just you know as a fun thought experiment of like intent like creator's vision and intent. 58:54.59 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and even if I never come to a concrete conclusion. Um, just the ability of the game to get me to like stop What I'm doing stand up and like start pacing in the room and be like okay what does this mean? Okay, there are there are implications here. 59:09.11 fireheartmedia Um, in. 59:14.00 Adam Bucceri Ah, that's one of my favorite things and and we're going to get to the most dramatic example of that in the game for me ah later in this episode which I'm excited to talk about. 59:24.83 fireheartmedia Yeah, um, and so there's a there's some side questy things that are associated with ah the real roundtable If you're doing ah the ah assassination quest line in at a. Volcano Manner. You can ah what is it is it. 59:48.66 Adam Bucceri There's a cool you get to do a it's late into the assassination quest line but you get do a cool 2 v two fight where you're teaming up with the guy in Ram Armor who's a Burna and you fight against varggum the raging wolf and errant sorcerer wilhelm. 59:51.16 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 59:57.50 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:00:04.23 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:00:06.30 Adam Bucceri And you should do this because the raging wolf set looks so cool. It's one of my favorite sets of armor in the game. 01:00:11.38 fireheartmedia Yeah yep, and was I believe like a Beta class ah class for the network test test that of course didn't end up being a class in the main game. But yeah, the raging wolf set was a a. A network ah test class and I know from from clamor online that numerous people were disappointed that it was an actual class. 01:00:42.94 Adam Bucceri Yeah, it's It's one of the iconic armor sets from this game you know similar to like the fluted Knight or ah, the Feram armor like ah. 01:00:50.61 fireheartmedia Um, yes, yes. 01:00:56.56 Adam Bucceri It's very distinctive looking if I see this armor like I'm not going to confuse this with anything else. 01:01:00.15 fireheartmedia Yeah, it was used in a lot of advertising which I think is funny because it wasn't the main cover armor which is also a big change from from software because they typically like to use the ah the. The advertising armor is the main like main art piece art box armor that you see in the game and no, it's not the raging wolf set. It is ah it is vike ah a character that we've talked about um sparingly. But who's like really important because he got closer to becoming Ellen Lord ah than anyone else until he had ah some troubles and and went mad and I think I'm just going to leave it at that. 01:01:52.11 Adam Bucceri Yep, and he looks cool, but not as cool as the like this is my choice for for for box art armor. Um, but yeah, ah, that's real cool to find. Um. 01:01:54.90 fireheartmedia Um, right? yes. 01:02:09.19 Adam Bucceri There's a room where the dung eater is normally hanging out in roundtable hold and there you can find a body that is chained to a chair that has been defiled with the seedbed curse which you can present to him to continue Dung Eater's quest if you're. 01:02:11.94 fireheartmedia A hip. 01:02:19.64 fireheartmedia Um, yes. Yes, Yeah I was into that kind of thing my None run and then my second run I was into hey ah skeezy weird ah carion rammy. 01:02:27.10 Adam Bucceri Into that kind of thing. 01:02:41.91 fireheartmedia Snarky Sorcerer man I Want this dung Eater Puppet I I gave your weird potion to the dung eater and now I want to buy them because I think that'll be cool. Um, mainly because I'm doing like a a virgil from Devil May Cry themed. Second Run character and I thought hey you know what tonguengy you kind of looks like a demon I'm just going to have him as my summon for fights where where I don't look nearly as scummy using Moon Vale everywhere and just let him. 01:03:01.48 Adam Bucceri Sure. 01:03:19.46 fireheartmedia Scream at things and hit things with his spine sword. 01:03:26.34 Adam Bucceri Hell yeah Spine sword. Ah yeah, um, one of the other rooms ah kind of a notable item that I just think is cool is called the coded sword. 01:03:38.65 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:03:40.76 Adam Bucceri You can find you can find um, kind of a lesser version like a fist weapon version of this in the um, ah in the dream roundtable hole that you normally go to ah but this is kind of like it's just an empty hilt that when activated. Ah. 01:03:44.24 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 01:03:50.24 fireheartmedia A hint. 01:03:59.62 Adam Bucceri Will conjure a blade that is not physical and therefore is supposed to be like specifically useful for going through Shields like it just does holy damage. 01:04:06.69 fireheartmedia Yes, yeah, it's literally the the the blade is is our our roots that there it's it's words which you know seems kind of appropriate for. Ah. Gideon Offnir ah but there's yeah, such weird weapons they have a really high faith requirement and I never invested into faith. So I I never actually used either of them which was actually disappointing because I was like oh man, these things are cool. 01:04:33.21 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 01:04:43.55 fireheartmedia Um, not investing in faith to use them though. So think it is kind of said my inventory. Yeah. 01:04:48.50 Adam Bucceri Yeah, it's a divine lightsaver. Um, it's very cool I thought the the item description was neat as well. So I'm just going to read it hidden sword once granted to the tarnished of the roundtable by the None fingers. The formless cipher compris comprises its blade which deals holy damage. No shield can repel champions would gather at the roundtable hold in days long past when the None fingers were masters of oration. Their flesh yet full of vigor which. 01:05:21.56 fireheartmedia Oh right. 01:05:25.00 Adam Bucceri I mean that's just very evocative to me, especially considering the sorry state that the 2 fingers are in when we find them. 01:05:29.43 fireheartmedia Yeah I'm like oh yeah, that's right I I keep forgetting that once upon a time they didn't look like 2 awful like None hot dogs waving at you. 01:05:44.95 Adam Bucceri Ah, yeah, ah they they've been left out in the sun a little bit too long. 01:05:47.60 fireheartmedia The. 01:05:55.90 Adam Bucceri Yeah, so I think that covers the um, the roundtable hold that we found. 01:06:00.24 fireheartmedia Yeah, because ah blow I think and then we can progress from there by then noting that hey surprise in that that ah that um what main room Main Hall. Ah, the one that we enter into that We have our little summon fight into ah one of the doors that you couldn't open in the dream roundtable does open and ah hey there are abductor virgins. Um, the thing that I find most interesting about that. Door is that there's a lever on the other side which indicates to me that there is somehow a way to get into this elevator this big lift which is where we ultimately end up courtyard from The. A different side from like the opposite side I've never managed to do it but every single time I go through that door like pull that door open and see it I'm just like how I like that just means that you you can get here I Just don't know how? um. 01:06:54.78 Adam Bucceri Um. 01:07:10.10 fireheartmedia But yeah, no, we it leads into a little court side courtyard with 2 abductor virgins because of course, why not? um and then a big old lift. 01:07:17.69 Adam Bucceri You up? Yeah, as usual, you shouldn't fight the abductor virgins is there a pain. Ah they don't actually take you anywhere if they if they catch you right. 01:07:26.21 fireheartmedia Yet. 01:07:32.80 fireheartmedia No, no, no, no, they just yeah, they just chomp you. 01:07:35.88 Adam Bucceri Okay, um, but yeah, if you you find this giant lift and it's it's really big. It's like um, comparable to like the the riverwell elevators and when you take it. It takes you all the way up to something that might be familiar. If you indeed did open a treasure chest in a random tower 30 hours ago ah because you get teleported to ah the top of this tower. But if you get teleported from that that trap chest. 01:07:58.62 fireheartmedia Um, yep. 01:08:12.61 Adam Bucceri This elevator that you just wrote up doesn't work and so all you get is like this sneak peak seeing this incredible vista of the city and the petrified dragon draping over things. Um, which I mean for me I did. 01:08:23.35 fireheartmedia A. 01:08:30.80 Adam Bucceri In fact, open that treasure chest and that was one of those amazing moments where I'm just like oh my God like what a preview of a place that I'm going to go later and then you look at your map and you're like oh my God How did I get this far I'm in way over my head. 01:08:40.49 fireheartmedia Get right? I'm literally as far almost as I know actually I am literally as far away from the tree as I can be before I got teleported here and now I'm just right here and. There's no way for me to get to help. 01:09:01.70 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um, pretty remarkable moment I Love those teleporter chests. Um, but going up here. There's a ah Halberd golem which is very tough if you get teleported there and you decide to fight him. But. At this level is pretty manageable. Ah, there's a treasure chest which has a the blessed do Talisman which grants you passive Hp regeneration which for the early game is something that I am always. 01:09:27.10 fireheartmedia Um, yep. 01:09:33.58 Adam Bucceri Very fond of ah you know it's nice to have that little security blanket. Even if it ultimately doesn't do that much and then ah, there's a sending gate which I believe at this point is deactivated but eventually ah this is how you're going to get to the isolated Divine Tower. Which is like right smack in the middle of the Ocean. So If you're you're looking at that and you're just wondering how the heck do I get there. Ah, that's how. 01:09:52.73 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:10:03.33 fireheartmedia Yep, just 1 the one the teleporter panels that that are littered throughout this entire realm with helter skelter. No signage, no posting just. 01:10:05.60 Adam Bucceri So. 01:10:13.33 Adam Bucceri No. 01:10:20.30 fireheartmedia Hey you want to you want to roll the dice. Of course you do so yeah I mean you've you've had Millennia to do so. 01:10:24.94 Adam Bucceri Yeah, shockingly poorly labeled which ah you know get on it come on. 01:10:34.91 Adam Bucceri Um, like what a sign kill you. 01:10:39.56 fireheartmedia I mean yeah, they mark the map but they don't ever say what? actually I do think now when you hover over over over things. It does say what? what the thing is when it gets marked on the map because I distinctly remember that it didn't do that. Ah, when I ran through the game originally because I was ah actively refusing to ah install updates. My none time running through Elton ring. It was constantly. Screaming at me to update and telling me wagging its finger and saying you won't be able to play online to which I responded haha jokes on you I never play online so I'm not missing anything. Um, so yeah I think I think now. Ah. Red mark points are labeled but before it was just figure it out. Dummy and and and I did. 01:11:37.14 Adam Bucceri I Have very distinct memories of making my way to the divine to the isolated Divine Tower being like that is so cool I can't believe that like this is how you get here. This is really mysterious I Can't wait to come back and figure out how to open this divine tower. 01:11:50.21 fireheartmedia And. 01:11:55.94 Adam Bucceri And then you know getting a few more great ruins and being like I'm going to try to open that divine tower and then just being like how the hell do I get to the to that Tower I have no memory of which teleporter brought me there. 01:12:02.97 fireheartmedia Um, right? No ah. 01:12:11.81 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, so ah, let's see I guess we should talk about some statues now. 01:12:21.66 Adam Bucceri Yeah, so well actually we should probably talk about how we how we get to the statue None So um. 01:12:24.64 fireheartmedia Um, oh no, Ah, yeah, yeah, because there's a big old cathedral wrapped around the roots of the urge tree as we ascend higher and Higher. Um. To our obvious destination. 01:12:43.50 Adam Bucceri Yeah, as a minor note this is ah close to where you can run up the petrified dragon. You can actually scale it and get to like some cool stuff up at the top I don't remember. 01:12:51.60 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:12:59.22 Adam Bucceri If there's anything super significant up there but it is just extremely cool to be running up it especially because there's some great Knights who are you know shooting you with those great arrows and you're dodging them while you're trying to climb a petrified dragon. Pretty great. 01:13:11.90 fireheartmedia Yeah I tried on my second run I tried just running past them but they were really too good at sniping me as I was climbing it So I just ended up ah making myself invisible and running past. 01:13:28.62 Adam Bucceri Nice, Yeah, that's a good strategy. Um, but yeah, so ah, the roots wrap up and around and you're climbing these you know? ah. 01:13:29.30 fireheartmedia Um. 01:13:44.42 Adam Bucceri Absolutely huge roots that are littered with those little aired tree Guardian guys. The branchy root guys. Um, which I assume are just there just because they like hanging out on the air tree. But other than that I'm not really sure why they're here. 01:13:49.23 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:13:58.70 fireheartmedia Yeah I mean you you see them around like the minor ur trees that's almost like they're gardeners that have like a weird symbiotic relationship with them like tenders like they tend to the Earth trees. So it makes sense that there would be some here. 01:14:09.77 Adam Bucceri Yeah, yeah. 01:14:16.77 fireheartmedia I do actually really like that they do have a progression to them because I believe the none time you encounter? Um, um, they just kind of they're just like weird guys and weird golden masks that that have twin Spears and are super um. Aggressive and then next time a little little later is on. You're like oh that's a tree growing out of their back and then even further on it's like a tree that has also blossomed and now they get shoulder check you and hit you with Paul. 01:14:42.29 Adam Bucceri Captain. 01:14:52.10 fireheartmedia Like Poison spores now and I'm this like I do like I think I don't think it happens nearly enough with with um the enemies because we get we get iterations like that for for these guys. We get them with the omens which is probably like the biggest. 1 and we get like minor ones with the different factions of just generic soldiers as you as you mentioned before but I like that there's just stages that they throw in stages and there's no commentary on them. It's not.. It's not a different form of this enemy worth mentioning. It's just. 01:15:22.90 Adam Bucceri Um. 01:15:29.85 fireheartmedia Hey just you know if you're paying attention. There's stuff happening with these enemy types the closer and closer to the Earth tree. They get. 01:15:40.20 Adam Bucceri Yeah, there's like a progression between the the different variations of them which is really cool. They've got big Herald from Fallout energy which I appreciate. They've also got like kind of that like hunched figure in those long snaky necks which. 01:15:48.51 fireheartmedia Yes, yes. 01:15:58.45 Adam Bucceri Reminds me a little bit of those bowling pin guys from the the beginning where like they also have like that long serpentine neck I Don't think there's a connection there but just like a little bit of rhyming between the visual designs. 01:16:01.10 fireheartmedia Out in. 01:16:10.60 fireheartmedia You're right? Well because once again, the commoners like that I was ah when when I first started the game and was encountering the commoners ah like the commoner model type I'm like man what is up with like. These elongated necks and these like super tall figures and and long arms. Yeah, the Fu Marian and then even later even though we've encountered one before at least to this point in in a jail. 01:16:29.71 Adam Bucceri Yeah, like almost Fumerian ah in proportion. 01:16:45.47 fireheartmedia Um, what is it like the far from the from the mountaintops. The the the ice um warriors. 01:16:58.10 Adam Bucceri Drawn a blank on what let me let me look up. 01:17:08.59 Adam Bucceri You're not talking about the um, the meteorite guys. 01:17:10.82 fireheartmedia No, there's yeah, they're like there's this enemy type that you can encounter. Um, that only shows up like later in the game but you can encounter much earlier in in one of the ever jails. Um. 01:17:28.80 Adam Bucceri Oh yes, Ah yeah, those those frost guys who I think are like a remnant of an older civilization. But ah. 01:17:28.24 fireheartmedia That is just like a very tall. Yes. 01:17:38.60 fireheartmedia Yeah, and I was just like once. Oh yeah, go on. 01:17:44.56 Adam Bucceri Yeah, no, but just like similar. Yeah, they do have like a similar like very lanky like tall. Ah unnatural proportions where it is a little bit difficult to tell like is this just a person being rendered. In a distinct art style or is this supposed to be an indication that this is something like more alien something less human. 01:18:06.23 fireheartmedia Um, right? Yeah um, but yeah, um, we get to Cathedral and oh hey, here's we got a surprise surprise boss. It's boss and who's the boss. But. 01:18:21.51 Adam Bucceri Ah, yeah I mean was a surprise for me I wasn't expecting to fight Godfrey the None Eldon Lord or at least a spectral version of him. It seems to be ah like a vision of him. 01:18:28.72 fireheartmedia Um, yes, yes. 01:18:38.59 Adam Bucceri In his prime because he's dressed in his full regalia and he has um, his double-sided Axe which is intact rather than ah broken like we see it later. 01:18:49.87 fireheartmedia Yes, Ah, and yeah, he is. He is an easy fight I see it in the notes pretty easy fight and that was my fight I was like yeah that was actually a pretty easy fight I think I got him in one and I was just like oh that was. Underwhelming. But thanks for the toelsman pouch because I need another one. 01:19:12.79 Adam Bucceri Yeah, he drops the um, what might be your the final fourth ah ring slot item for you which is a pretty fabulous reward. But yeah I'm I'm not one of those people who. 01:19:22.24 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:19:32.60 Adam Bucceri Feels like an easy boss is a bad boss. Um, you know I ah find myself frustrated with that take especially if it's just like I don't know this is just trying to do something like interesting or novel. Um. 01:19:33.54 fireheartmedia Now. 01:19:46.75 Adam Bucceri I Don't think that this is trying to do that other than just like planting this association in your head And yeah I think I think the purpose of this fight is to like just kind of evoke something. Um. 01:20:01.34 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 01:20:04.41 Adam Bucceri Rather than to really say anything more concrete because as far as I know we don't get any explanation of like why this illusion version of ah of Godfrey is here. 01:20:18.37 fireheartmedia Although you know if if I wanted to look into it a little deeper because I honestly have I honestly never have um it is entirely possible that this could be like. A version of what Ronnie did with the renola fight. Um, where ah you know you you you beat her. You do beat her up initially and then she summons a version of of her in her prime and. 01:20:41.50 Adam Bucceri Um, in. 01:20:50.64 fireheartmedia It is entirely possible that the lord of linddell may in fact, be doing something similar but just without the um level of confidence that Ranny can. 01:21:04.30 Adam Bucceri I didn't draw that connection. But yeah, there is definitely a similarity between those 2 fights. Um, that's an interesting observation. Ah, but yeah, ah Godfrey he has a double-sided Axe he does some big stomps. Um, this version if you've got. 01:21:08.80 fireheartmedia Ah, a. 01:21:23.87 Adam Bucceri Some spirit ashes to help distract him and draw Agro again isn't too bad, not a ton of health ah pretty manageable. But ah, the cathedral that you're in is really interesting. Um. 01:21:29.24 fireheartmedia Yeah. 01:21:38.43 Adam Bucceri Again, you come up these roots of the air tree. They're kind of weaving in and out of the buildings all around this place is pretty overgrown and if you do a complicated series of jumps. You'll get to this upper floor and find in this like ah I don't know like a bassinet or something. That's kind of suspended up above. Um, you find a spellbook a very significant spellbook the golden order princippea prince of Princepa Princepa couldn't pronounce that um, but. 01:21:57.66 fireheartmedia Yep. 01:22:09.26 fireheartmedia Um, just opinion. 01:22:15.22 Adam Bucceri This seems to be ah the the item description for it is prayer book of the golden order fundamentalists a dense and complex academic treatise that contains the order's fundamental. Principles can be given to a learned cleric to gain access to the following incantations. Radigan's rings of light and the law of regression. So ah, let's loop back. Let's talk about statues so reading that item description it becomes clear that this is either written by or owned by Radigan ah, who. 01:22:49.80 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:22:53.46 Adam Bucceri I'm sure has come up in the podcast before but like is starting to come to the forefront as a major player in in this world and the law of regression is really significant as a spell. So. 01:23:02.80 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 01:23:13.10 Adam Bucceri Flashing back? ah to le ernia when you visit the turtle pope ah Muriel the pastor of vows he has a evocative bit of dialogue which is you know it's said that Lord Radigan harbored a secret. A femed sculptor of the aired-tree capital was once summoned to render Lord Radigan's likeness in giant statue when he glimpsed the skeleton in Radigan's closet and as such it said that the great statue harbors his secret too and for me. From that moment on I was keeping an eye out for statues and trying to to follow this breadcrumb trail because that sounded really juicy to me so ah earlier as you're wandering the streets. There is in fact, a large impressive statue of lord radigan. Ah, in front of the statue is a developer message that simply says regression alone reveals secrets so playing through that I put 2 and None together and I'm like okay this is the statue in question. So when I found the law of regression spell I got very excited. Had a high stat requirement I had to go in respec in order to be able to cast it. Um, but reading the item description of the spell the law of regression. It is incantation of the golden order fundamentalists. None of the key fundamentals heals all negative statuses dispels special effects and reveals mimicry in all its forms. The fundamentalists describe the golden order through the power of aggression and causality. Regression is the pull of meaning that all things yearn eternally to converge. So there's a lot to unpack there. But the point is that the law of regression dispels magic it reveals mimicry it it dispels illusions so by taking that spell and casting it in front of the statue you do this goofy little arm thing to ah cast it and the statue of radigan and we know we've got to be past this spoiler wall. Of course. 01:25:30.54 fireheartmedia Person she that. 01:25:33.55 Adam Bucceri Ah, the statue of radigan turns into a statue of America the developer message in front of the statues and changes simply to say radigan is America and this was was such a great moment for me. So when I played it. 01:25:44.46 fireheartmedia Yep. 01:25:52.40 Adam Bucceri I was getting up I was like wildly fury crafting pacing in front of the room I play these games with my wife and we're both invested in the story and we both love to uncover ah the archaeology of these worlds together. And so we're just like spitballing theoriesies and like trying to figure it out and eventually this led me to rewatching the opening cut scene and the opening trailer. 01:26:19.28 fireheartmedia Um, is here. Oh yeah. 01:26:21.60 Adam Bucceri And I'm just like you motherfuckers you put it right in front of us this whole time. 01:26:27.42 fireheartmedia Every every yeah watching yeah watching any of the lead up trailers watching the opening cut scene. It's really kind of amazing of of an amazing trick of oh yeah, you know you can just tell us everything. And without context it utterly means nothing until we decide to possibly review it 50 hours later and realize that you you gave up the game to us initially, it's. 01:27:00.21 Adam Bucceri Like what an amazing magic trick. This is the None scene in the reveal trailer and they tell you like the biggest twist in the game like that's incredibly brave. 01:27:05.87 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. Yeah, it's amazing. 01:27:17.43 Adam Bucceri From like a storytelling perspective like what a huge gamble for for whoever was in charge of that to to go out on a limb and just say like note we're going to do this and trust that like the mystery will stay in place. 01:27:29.55 fireheartmedia Um, oh and 1 other little oddity about the love regression is while it is an incantation. It is requires intelligence and intelligence alone. 01:27:47.66 Adam Bucceri Yes, yes, ah and Radigan is you know this divine holy figure but also is associated with. 01:27:49.18 fireheartmedia It is not faith based whatsoever. 01:28:04.14 Adam Bucceri Intelligence and ah magic in a way that most of the other people are not um, Radigan Ragan is interesting in how he kind of fits into like the magic of the world and ah because America. 01:28:08.51 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:28:23.86 Adam Bucceri Ah, there are many miracles that ah invoke or seem to be in the name of America and those ones do require faith and so it really is this duality. Um, that is pretty fascinating. 01:28:39.90 fireheartmedia Yeah, it's it's yeah once again, it's a it's a wild twist and it makes sense. Um, given Radagan's history with renala and what he brought to the table during their marriage. Um, it's. Yeah, it's a it's a wild twist in a game full and you know not even the most wild twist that we're going to cover it and in this episode to be perfectly. Honest, um, to go back to the kids oh go on. 01:29:08.49 Adam Bucceri Yeah. But between between ah America marrying Radigan and the loki show like it has been a banner year for selfsest you know, go ahead and marry yourself. 01:29:23.85 fireheartmedia Um, right? you. 01:29:30.78 Adam Bucceri It's fine. 01:29:32.40 fireheartmedia Um, going back to the Cathedral. Um, there are some interesting.. There's some interesting debris ah around in the central Cathedral area mainly a ton of. Dead Finger readers. 01:29:51.86 Adam Bucceri Like a lot of them. There's like 20 or 30 dead finger readers just kind of scattered around. 01:29:59.80 fireheartmedia Yeah, and I'm just like wait. So what? like that once again because I'm always I'm out because frumsoft is so iterative with with their design philosophy philosophy and. And they're like thematic stuff I'm just like are these finger readers like kind of like the equivalent of pilgrims from dark souls ah 3 like where they just sent out into the land to tell people what the None fingers thought about everything and when they had no. 01:30:24.40 Adam Bucceri Okay. 01:30:35.91 fireheartmedia Figures to read. They just dried up here or the ones that were out in the world then demanded to read people's hands. 01:30:45.36 Adam Bucceri Yeah, for sure. Um, this is this is just a bit of speculation. Um I genuinely don't know and I feel like the answer is out. There is there a connection between finger reader maidens and maidens as in like you are maidenless like. Each tarnished is supposed to have a maiden are they related to the finger reader Chromes. 01:31:03.90 fireheartmedia Right? I I don't know like a it see and that's once again that falls into like there's. A lot of weirdness with identity and using the same words to mean different things. Um I don't know if think like maybe maybe finger reader maidens are do end up becoming like these the crones that. 01:31:23.20 Adam Bucceri A. 01:31:36.80 fireheartmedia Divine the will of the None fingers I mean we meet a a character in a side quest that is striving to become a finger maiden and she is involved with some fingers. But. You know I don't know whether or not I I couldn't even begin to speculate I I can only assume so yeah I don't know because because a lot of what like a lot of the system that they have set up in elder ring. Um. As far as like you, you need a maiden you need this, you need that it all feels like weird artifice that ends up being a bullshit lie at the end of the day. 01:32:23.98 Adam Bucceri Yeah, they ultimately it's a lot of systems of control and trying to make sure that ultimately you're doing what the greater will wants you to be doing. 01:32:28.55 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:32:35.39 fireheartmedia Right? Yeah I don't know I'd be willing to bet that there probably is a connection between ah the finger readers and finger maidens and less so between finger maidens and just the maiden that you take on you with your. To your pilgrimage to becoming Eldon Lord 01:32:59.17 Adam Bucceri Gotcha I will speculate no more on that. Um, but yeah as you were saying like there are dozens of corpses of these finger reader cro crons and as you are approaching What? Ah what turns out to be the Queen's bed chamber. 01:33:00.81 fireheartmedia None 01:33:16.91 Adam Bucceri Ah, kind of sitting right? outside you know, almost like they're taking a break after killing 30 or 40 finger Ah Maiden Crohn's is a black knife assassin which I mean literally outside the door of the queen's bedchamber. 01:33:27.72 fireheartmedia Um, yep. 01:33:34.19 fireheartmedia Um, yes, yeah, and hey there's already. We've I believe we've already established the connection between um between America and the black knife assassins. It's not. 01:33:36.10 Adam Bucceri At the root of the air tree. 01:33:51.64 fireheartmedia Um, it's only yeah I only found it mildly surprising that there was None hanging out here. Um, you know probably waiting for the queen to come back so they could talk about stuff. But yeah, it. I mean yeah, what's again, there are item descriptions indicating that a that they were all all all the the black and knife assassins were women and were familiar to queen America herself which is really weird considering. Yeah. Considering what role they played in that and what role America played and it's yeah, it's there's a I haven't bothered to kind of um, order the events of Eldon ring through my 2 playthroughs because it's so expansive and exhausting and I just. Don't really have that kind of time anymore. But I'm always like fascinated with the aspect of yeah she knew who they were she knew that they were assassins did she know that they were going to assassinate her son i. Yeah, it's weird but you can beat up this. You beat up this black knife assassin because you've beaten up None others already and then you enter into the most uncomfortable looking bed chamber I've ever seen because it's full of stone tablets and a big rock bed. 01:35:20.30 Adam Bucceri Um, they. 01:35:23.20 fireheartmedia And I'm just like man how lavish I'm sure she was super happy here. But. 01:35:26.89 Adam Bucceri It's it's real open to like I wouldn't be comfortable doing anything there people would just always be like looking over your shoulder. They can just wander right in. 01:35:35.16 fireheartmedia Yeah, like yeah she doesn't even have like the Gwendolyn like separation of like higher elevation unless we're like talking about her rock couch. Ah but ah host yeah, it's just yeah 2 doors in and yeah bunch of stone tablets. 01:35:47.66 Adam Bucceri Yeah, yeah. 01:35:54.65 fireheartmedia Bunch of ah rock bed Some nice drapery some ah real real nice. Ah get gets gets a lot of sun. But yeah, not not comfy looking whatsoever for her. 01:36:05.31 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um I like that you evoked gwendollet guinevere right? there ah because it did make me think like oh ah America is going to be gigantic similar to guinevere. 01:36:09.83 fireheartmedia There we go. Thank you. 01:36:20.44 fireheartmedia Da. 01:36:24.38 Adam Bucceri Um, that turns out to not be the case. So why is your bed So big Marica get ah, get something cozier. Get a love seat in there like I don't know relax. 01:36:33.35 fireheartmedia I will there's almost a part of me that's like maybe at 1 point she actually was bigger before the troubles. Ah. 01:36:42.14 Adam Bucceri Ah, it's possible. Scale scale is a little bit iffy in from games where often it feels like the scale of a character is is relative to their importance rather than like their height. 01:36:56.88 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:37:00.71 Adam Bucceri But yeah, this the scale of this chamber is huge. Um, you mentioned like these stone tablets that are just like stacked almost to the ceiling and these enormous piles which is a really evocative image. Do you have any idea Of. Of what those tablets are or what they're for. 01:37:19.81 fireheartmedia I Don't I feel like it almost feels like government paperwork like things that she like misses that she was handing out ah to keep the whole system running before. 01:37:30.67 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 01:37:39.75 fireheartmedia Um, once again before the troubles hit and that's what that feels like that that was kind of what she spent all of her time doing as the God because ultimately she is just a mouthpiece and a figurehead for the greater will like something for the Master. Just to latch onto because the concept of the greater will is is is I would assume is too big for for anyone other than her. 01:38:10.20 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um, earlier on in the game she is explicitly referred to as like a vessel for the greater will and ah yeah, but the idea of this like genuine God being like bogged down by bureaucracy is ah. 01:38:16.15 fireheartmedia Right? but. 01:38:28.84 fireheartmedia You write it? Well, it's also on Brand for from soft in general. 01:38:29.60 Adam Bucceri Is on brand for this world. Um, now that's true. Um, yeah, that was kind of the closest that I had come to a theory of like these are like stone tablets that she like engraves decrees upon but I don't have any um. 01:38:42.77 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 01:38:47.26 Adam Bucceri And supporting evidence for that. That's just kind of what felt right in the moment. But regardless we are finally right at the base of the air tree a final bridge leads from the Queen's bed chambers to this little. Ah. What would you call it like this courtyard. That's right outside of the the throne room itself and here we reach ah the boss of the level and the current Stewart of the throne ah Morgot the obin king. 01:39:06.16 fireheartmedia Um, yeah. 01:39:21.66 fireheartmedia Surprise it was market all along it was it was Margaret surprised. He's actually the lord of Linndel he's he's he's part of the golden lydia he's he's he's he's a really big deal surprise surprise every lot. 01:39:24.38 Adam Bucceri And. 01:39:36.98 Adam Bucceri Which like he was he was kind of slummin it down in storm vale in a way like yeah because he is like a really important figure to ah the the current power structure. Um. 01:39:39.30 fireheartmedia It was a surprise. 01:39:52.39 fireheartmedia Yeah, yeah. 01:39:56.25 Adam Bucceri So more. Ah, yeah, more got slash market market is ah again because the game is obsessed with dual identities and all of these ah layers of deception. Ah market is like a pseudonym that he adopts so that he can jump into the fray. Away from the throne but also keep like kind of a lower profile and not have it tied directly to to his reign and so um, outside of Lindell kind of the approach There's a random. 01:40:21.56 fireheartmedia Um, yes, um. 01:40:34.87 Adam Bucceri Like peasant that you might bump into who will actually turn into market ah to to me implying that like this I interpret this as like similarly like an astral projection kind of thing similar to like in Bloodborne because. 01:40:39.34 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:40:52.99 Adam Bucceri In the cut scene when you first meet Market back in storm vale like he kind of teleports in you know he kind of like appears in like this golden light. Ah, and so similarly like he's fighting you outside. 01:41:02.30 fireheartmedia A. 01:41:09.46 Adam Bucceri Ah, the capital which feels like he is just like projecting his influence outside ah theoretically keeping all of these different plates spinning trying to maintain whatever fragile power is here. Ah at the heart of of the kingdom. 01:41:25.14 fireheartmedia Yeah, um, so ah, so you mentioned I was actually going to bring up his appearance at stormdale I think he literally can just like once again just assume control and track and transmogrify these. Um, these. Peasants into into copies of himself. So I think I truly like to believe that the the market that you fought in Storm Bale was just a peasant that happened to be up on that. Um, it's not a ramard. It's it's something else that I can't remember. Ah, to face you because he's like a man I time it just trying to turn just trying to get some ah some lords some rufu runes gotta got to put the cabash on that so you fight him you you. Beat him and he once again he curses you. He's like you haven't heard the last. He's he literally says you haven't heard the last me then you meet him again outside of Linda and he says you haven't seen the last of me and then you actually get to see the last of him and and. Like him at his full power. 01:42:36.66 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and that kind of projection or like body hijacking is a trope that just works on me all the time I put it into like every D and D game I Run it's great. It's real fun. Um, so yeah. 01:42:48.51 fireheartmedia Is it. 01:42:56.23 Adam Bucceri Um, before you go into the boss arena though there is a really significant summon sign that you can click on um your maiden ah Meina Malina millennia Melana but. 01:43:12.52 fireheartmedia Mela melaner. 01:43:15.80 Adam Bucceri There's too many m names in this game. ah but yeah ah melana your your Maiden not Maiden. Um, now that we're at the base of the air tree. Her task seemingly almost complete. She comes herself to to join in the fight. 01:43:15.98 fireheartmedia Um, yep. 01:43:33.38 Adam Bucceri Ah, which is really cool I Really appreciate how active she is in this plot like she is an active agent um in pretty stark contrast to to your other. Ah you know level up made in and black figures in these games. 01:43:48.52 fireheartmedia And yes, yeah, and and hey she's got a dagger that is shockingly similar to another to some other daggers that you might have seen throughout the day and. 01:43:53.25 Adam Bucceri E. 01:44:07.98 fireheartmedia Throughout the game both in abilities and shape. Ah. 01:44:12.81 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um, so the the weapon that she wields is called the blade of calling which is a very distinct looking curved dagger and this is I think to me ah the real reason why they put the black knife assassin. 01:44:31.20 fireheartmedia There. 01:44:31.37 Adam Bucceri Just a couple of rooms ago is because they want you to draw this connection because they look and behave very similarly um with with her version of it being again, kind of like this uncorrupted Golden sunlight version. 01:44:38.73 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:44:50.92 Adam Bucceri As opposed to the destined death. You know, ah corrupted version that the black Knight Assassins Wield ah but they are very similar and I think it definitely wants you to be asking questions about ah the connection between those 2 01:45:05.35 fireheartmedia Yes, agree. His fight is great I love it. I actually liked all of the ah ah Mor got market fights is ah is a really good um boss character. In this new form. He's super aggressive. His staff is no longer a saph. It was in fact, a surprise. Great sword curved great sword because. 01:45:31.69 Adam Bucceri Which is really I love that that cut scene um from software just has like a great rhythm and pacing he like holds his his staff out. Ah the staff which gave you a lot of trouble 30 hours ago at the beginning of the game and then he just crushes it. And it like bursts like this like kind of fire within revealing this um like prismatic sword underneath like it almost looks like ah like an oil slick with like those shifting colors. Um, it's really unique and interesting looking. 01:46:02.28 fireheartmedia In here. 01:46:08.58 Adam Bucceri As a weapon and of course he's talking shit the whole time. 01:46:08.94 fireheartmedia Yeah, right? Ah, he doesn't like he doesn doesn't like any of his siblings or half siblings. Um, he thinks he's the he's the he's the one He's the lord of of Linddell and you know he's got a really. Relationship with ah the Golden order and and his place in it which ah is is seemingly no place because once again, he's an omen and the golden order don't do omen. Ah, ah because I'm sure it reminds it way too much of the crucible. 01:46:42.69 Adam Bucceri Yeah. 01:46:48.61 fireheartmedia Which it just co-opted and then decided. Yeah, you know what we don't like the feathers and and scales and tails with none of that only only human only purely Humanoid figures for for this. The theocracy says the Golden border. 01:47:05.90 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um, hey morgot ah don't don't collaborate with people who want who don't want you to exist. Ah, it's not going to work out for you. But um, yeah, so so this courtyard. 01:47:13.51 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, yeah. 01:47:23.53 Adam Bucceri Ah, that he's in that he introduces you to um in this this introduction cut scene is full of all of these little thrones and he kind of does a little roll call going off all of the demigods who you've heard about. And then at the end of that calls them willful traders all so like rightfully pointing out all of the layers of deceit and betrayal and abdication of duty ah with just him left to try to kind of desperately. Hold things together here here at last um morgot feels very much like he is the last bulwark against everything just collapsing. 01:48:11.41 fireheartmedia Yes, and it is worth noting that there is in fact, one sibling that he has nothing bad to say about and that is um, is it Godwin is it is it is it godwin. There's so many cheese too. Who's the yeah. 01:48:25.43 Adam Bucceri I know ah Godwin was the None to die on the night of black knives. 01:48:28.99 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, he godwin does not his throne is not present and he is would ah doesn't get a tongue lashing for more god. 01:48:41.55 Adam Bucceri Yeah, he points to to where that throne would be in goes. You're cool. 01:48:47.10 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, yeah, big bro I I feel I feel for you? Um, yeah, um, big in fact because there's even a gap in in in in place because. There is a separation of the the stepchildren rolles kids her on once are all on one side and the actual golden lineage children are on on the other and there is in fact, a gap where where godwin's throat would be. But he has nothing mad to say about him. 01:49:25.94 Adam Bucceri I'm gonna pause real quick I'm gonna clap to make a visible audio spike there is something weird going on in the background noise with you. 01:49:33.83 fireheartmedia Oh yeah, that yeah, that's ah those are my pipes. Yeah yeah, yeah, ah actually yeah, you'll probably hear it but Dave can actually edit that out fairly fairly easy. But yeah, sorry. 01:49:38.87 Adam Bucceri Oh geez. Okay. 01:49:52.30 fireheartmedia Should have warned you about that I Always forget about it because it doesn't happen all the time. But yep, that's that's what that was. 01:49:59.94 Adam Bucceri All right cool I'm going to clap again to create an obvious audio spike and then we'll get back into it. Yeah that's ah, that's very interesting I don't think I noticed the obvious gap where a throne ought be but now that you mention it. That's totally. Totally true. Um, so yeah, at the end of his intro cut scene. Ah, his last line is have it writ upon thy meagre grave felled by King Morgot last of all Kings ah, which is really kind of his thing. He does not want anyone else to become Eldon Lord ah and he's going to fight you for it and ah yeah, you were talking about it. He is fast. He is aggressive I had a tough time with him. Ah, but it is a it is a real cool fight. Um. 01:50:39.59 fireheartmedia Um, like. 01:50:58.17 Adam Bucceri And real visually spectacular. Um, he immediately starts as he's fighting. You immediately starts fighting in an upgraded and expanded version of his phase 2 fight from storm vale where he already has his golden hammer. 01:51:15.10 fireheartmedia Yeah. 01:51:17.46 Adam Bucceri He's throwing spectral daggers at you. He's creating a rain of Golden daggers coming down. Um, it feels like he is dangerous at all distances and yeah, he's he's ah he moves like a like a secaro boss. 01:51:26.22 fireheartmedia Yes. 01:51:34.80 fireheartmedia Yeah, he is again despite his size and even though you you you will have known this from um the boss fight 40 hours ago he is surprisingly fast ah agile and and. 01:51:36.80 Adam Bucceri Almost. 01:51:53.37 fireheartmedia Really loves to mix up the flow of his attacks he he has so many olds for so many attacks and then he has ah just quick slashes once again with the daggers you try to give yourself some distance. Maybe want to try to Hill he'll throw a dagger straight in your face. Ah, he's got the big hammer of God He's gets a big spear that he'll either chuck at you or ah run you ram you down with it's it's real.. It's a real good fight and that's just the None phase. 01:52:27.91 Adam Bucceri Yeah, he ah to me this fight definitely feels like it's balanced around having help whether that be spirit ashes or summons. This is a fight that I definitely summoned for and I do not feel bad about it. 01:52:37.58 fireheartmedia Um, yeah, absolutely I yeah used the summon and I used spear dashes only because I missed ah Melaina ah initially. And then second ah play throughugh was ah spirit ashes and Melana and yeah, that was it. You know it makes it kind of makes the fight a cake walk. Um, well at least it made it for me kind of the cake walk just because I I remember my initial experience with it. But man is it is it fun to have all these characters pulling agro and dodging between these the sword reign and and everything else during this fight. it's it's real it's a real nice visual treat. 01:53:30.68 Adam Bucceri Yeah, when fromm puts a summon sign of a character like melana outside of the boss arena that to me says that they want you to be doing that that that's the intended experience. Ah, you know like people who are like I didn't summon for Redon I I think that you're playing it wrong like that's not not wrong per se if you want to do a challenge mode. That's fine, but that's not the intended experience I think that the intended experience is to summon melana. 01:53:51.83 fireheartmedia And. 01:53:58.35 fireheartmedia Um, right right? Yeah I agree. 01:54:07.65 Adam Bucceri Yeah, So ah, you fight him you wear him down to half health and then he enters into phase two and I'm not entirely sure how to describe what happens he like starts to vomit up this Golden Liquid. And then he erupts into like this fountain of it and it sprays everywhere and it kind of floods the whole Arena kind of ankle high with this like strange liquid. 01:54:34.13 fireheartmedia Um, I So we we learn from I believe it's from his his remembrance when he's finally defeated because of course yes we defeat him because otherwise the game wouldn't progress. Um. 01:54:52.99 Adam Bucceri Spoiler. 01:54:53.59 fireheartmedia I know right? Ah, which is ah even though the urge tree didn't love him like had no love for him. He loved it all the same and it feels like it's it's it's literally like his grace. Erupting out of him which is a thing that he technically shouldn't possess but he is of the golden lineage. So it's almost like a jocks position of surprise he is actually probably the most like full of of. Races bounty entity that still exists in the um in the land between even though he should ultimately be shunned by the urgery and Grace itself. 01:55:45.57 Adam Bucceri That's a really cool theory ah that it's like an overflow of grace that's erupting out of him. Um I I don't have a better theory but when he does that the phase 2 transition. He says the thrones stained by my curse. 01:55:50.18 fireheartmedia A. Um, two. 01:56:03.22 Adam Bucceri Such shame I cannot bear thy part in this shall not be forgiven which to me was him like I barfed all over the thrones. Ah, and I don't know what to make of that. But. 01:56:11.94 fireheartmedia Um, yeah I Just want to get I Just once again interpreted as it as I am so ashamed that I am nothing but a filthy omen. Um. 01:56:20.68 Adam Bucceri It's weird and interesting. 01:56:28.51 Adam Bucceri Um. 01:56:30.26 fireheartmedia I really wish that that the golden order the ur tree grace loved me because I do love it. Um, and and hence the reason why he's literally like yeah I won't I won't even let anyone I won't let anyone. Attempt to claim the throne of Eldon Lord because no one can love it as much as i. 01:56:55.64 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and as all stories and from games are tragedies. You know the the way that he like this unrequited love that he has for for it like is is distinctly tragic. 01:57:10.48 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:57:14.36 Adam Bucceri But what's not tragic is his phase 2 where he ah covers his sword in like these golden black flames. It's not black flame like the god killing flame. It's like this golden black flame. Ah, which is interesting. 01:57:22.93 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 01:57:32.94 Adam Bucceri Um, at this point I think he gains the spectral spear although you were saying that it might be in his None phase. So I'm not entirely sure. Um. 01:57:39.70 fireheartmedia Um, yeah I'm I'm pretty sure that he had it during the None phase. 01:57:46.30 Adam Bucceri Yeah, but regardless like he really starts mixing up his his curved sword with the fire his spectral daggers his spectral hammer his spectral swords and now the spectral spear and he's weaving them. All in and out of these different combos and now this liquid is on the ground and when he does a big hit like it kind of glows for a None bubbles and then erupts ah into this big area of effect. Ah burst. 01:58:06.11 fireheartmedia Yep, so. 01:58:20.38 fireheartmedia Yes, he he also gets a a ah command grab with his sword ah that where he will impel you with it and then. 01:58:22.94 Adam Bucceri Ah, so there's just like a lot going on in this phase 2 01:58:36.61 fireheartmedia Throw you across the arena. Yeah, but eventually eventually you take him out because that's what you have to do. 01:58:38.43 Adam Bucceri Yeah, that's pretty great. Ah. 01:58:49.41 Adam Bucceri Yeah, ah and upon his death. Um his ah real body is now on the ground and you can see it's emaciated and feeble. You know it's almost skeletal. Ah and you can approach. And talk to it similar to like Ludwig's head in in Bloodborne ah, and he you know basically just continues to talk shit none may claim the title of Eldon Lord Thy deed shall be met with failure just as I ah. 01:59:22.96 fireheartmedia Um, yes and I have. 01:59:28.90 Adam Bucceri And but but yeah, ah, the other thing that he says is the aired tree warns off all who deigned a Dane approach. We are all forsaken um and indeed if you could try to continue further. Ah this great doorway You find is blocked. 01:59:36.10 fireheartmedia Yeah. 01:59:47.10 Adam Bucceri By the thorns of the aired tree like these thorny vines as well as Radigan seal. 01:59:53.21 fireheartmedia Yes, and I None thing that I think is really interesting about ah Mar got upon his defeat is ah it it own. It's almost as if the. Hearse of the omen was removed from him like upon his death because ah because there once again omens aren't part of the cycle. They don't get ah cycled back into the earth tree and it's almost like you know the golden order saying like oh you know what. Technically speaking we could have just like cured you at any point but you were super loyal and and also the player needs a remembrance from from you. So ah here you are. You're a human now surprise right before you die. Ah you got tricked. 02:00:48.51 Adam Bucceri Yeah, that was something that I wasn't sure if I was just like overlooking it or or what but um, his quote unquote like real body after you defeat him does not seem to be covered in horns and like those those knots. 02:01:05.17 fireheartmedia Yeah, he does. He doesn't have a tail. He has no he has there is there is 0 sign a sign that he was in fact, a omen at all once you defeat him and it's once again, it feels like this really cruel trick. 02:01:07.49 Adam Bucceri In the same way. 02:01:23.86 fireheartmedia From the Golden order from yeah from the Golden order from from from you know the actual God pulling the string saying. Okay well, you're useless to us now. But you were like really good. It'd be ashamed to throw you Away. So. We're going to cycle you back in but we need to you know Maintain Status Quo So surprise. You're a human now we could. This could have been you whenever we wanted but we decided that an example needed to be made. Of you and everyone like you. 02:02:04.20 Adam Bucceri Yeah, they don't they don't treat the omen very good. 02:02:06.57 fireheartmedia No I mean it's argu. You can. It's even arguable that because they have different rules for different class of omen and it's arguably the way they treat Royal omen. 02:02:21.44 Adam Bucceri A. 02:02:22.27 fireheartmedia Are is significantly worse than how they just treat regular omen. 02:02:27.33 Adam Bucceri Yeah, if you're a Royal omen. You can look forward to being raised in a sewer. So um, you know have fun with that. 02:02:33.66 fireheartmedia Yep, ah. Yet, Um, and hey surprise unlike any other boss fight in from Soft History. Once you discover that you can't get into the Earth tree. You can't teleport out the area. The fog gate doesn't get away because. You have to sit at the sight of grace and have a conversation with your girl. 02:02:59.99 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and i't know about you but I was definitely like oh no, is there going to be a back to back Boss fight. 02:03:08.69 fireheartmedia I didn't even notice any of that until after I tried to enter the urgery and I was like wait. Why can't I Why can't I Ah why can't I leave why can't I tell a port I was like oh I'll just sit down then. 02:03:20.33 Adam Bucceri Yeah, it It's one of the few times that from soft is like no really please do what we would like you to do you know it's It's a little bit heavier hand that I'm used to them using but um, but it doesn't. 02:03:30.65 fireheartmedia Yes. 02:03:39.49 Adam Bucceri Feel bad or anything. You know it's just it's it's interesting and worth worth noting. 02:03:44.43 fireheartmedia Yep, and that's where we get the we get the sit where she's like hey you know I abandoned you before but technically I didn't abandon you because I just gave I still gave you the ability to you know, level up but hey I'd like to. Travel with you again because maybe we can solve the problem of making you Eldon Lord because I'm really big into you becoming Elton Lord 02:04:10.74 Adam Bucceri Yeah, ah in many ways it feels like you are on her quest and not the other way around. Yeah, but um, she gives you another medallion similar to the Deck Dis medallion. Um. 02:04:15.15 fireheartmedia Yes, exactly. 02:04:28.66 Adam Bucceri So that we can travel even higher take another Grand lift and travel north to the land of the giants. Ah because the only solution that she knows of is to burn the thorns away ah with the fire of the giants. 02:04:42.53 fireheartmedia Um, yes, and. 02:04:46.17 Adam Bucceri Ah, which is like the the first and greatest blasphemy that can be committed in this world. 02:04:52.87 fireheartmedia Yeah, it almost makes me wonder if more got the reason more got was so resistant to anyone trying to claim the title of Eldon Lord was because he realized that the only means of. Of gaining access to the earth tree was to in fact, burn. It. 02:05:18.94 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and so that's ah, that's the next mission that has been given to you to burn the aired tree. 02:05:29.46 fireheartmedia Yep, the greatest blasphemy even more blasphemous than the man who fed himself to a snake and became a weird gross snake man is you you get to do. The most blasphemous thing a blasphemy that he could have only dreamed of and you have to do it in order to actually become Eldon Mor 02:05:48.48 Adam Bucceri You get to be more blasphemous than the lord of blasphemy and if that doesn't rule I don't know what does. 02:05:54.95 fireheartmedia Agreed So ah, any closing thoughts on lindell. 02:06:04.19 Adam Bucceri Um, the the 1 note that didn't get woven in there somewhere is that bach the seamster is here he wants to call you lord he's a sweet boy I like bach. Ah. 02:06:12.72 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 02:06:22.30 Adam Bucceri And then he asked me to to be reborn because he didn't like how he looked He doesn't like being a demi human and I was like hell yeah, my dude I can accommodate you and that was and and of course I forgot what game I was playing because that only ends in tragedy. 02:06:29.33 fireheartmedia Oh no. 02:06:39.42 fireheartmedia Yep, Ah yeah, no I I ah was fortunate enough to ah have already found the other item the non tragic item. Ah, which was a prattling pate shaped like a demihuman that says you're beautiful and then he learns to accept himself and and lis. 02:07:04.33 Adam Bucceri Like that is so sweet for these kind of games like it's also like very funny in like a oh you just I had to get the item that would tell you to believe in yourself. So. 02:07:16.23 fireheartmedia Yes, it's it's It's very not from software to be perfectly. Honest, it's It's actually once again, you know there are moments in in games that that are sweet. Ah but always ultimately end in Tragedy. Ah, but I like that they give this specific thing like yes, the thing that he thinks will make him happy is actually tragic and horrible and leads to his demise and telling him to believe in himself is is in fact. The true magic. 02:07:52.55 Adam Bucceri Yeah, the real friends were the the you know giants that we made along the way something. Ah, it's It's good. Um I unfortunately never found the prattling pate that would tell him to believe in himself. 02:08:00.68 fireheartmedia And yep. 02:08:09.22 fireheartmedia Oh. 02:08:11.93 Adam Bucceri Um, and also um, two just just for context because it's probably not going to be brought up again. Um, Bach ah does not like being a demi-human. He believes that he's ugly he believes that he brings shame to you but he wants to be by your side. He wants to be ah in your court and so his solution is to go to Queen renala and be reborn. Um, and i. 02:08:39.45 fireheartmedia Um, yes. 02:08:44.71 Adam Bucceri Ah, as always like the the root of all tragedy in these games I think is like not having the full context not having the full picture and so I didn't realize that him getting what he wanted would be a death sentence. Um, because. 02:08:57.89 fireheartmedia Right. 02:09:02.71 Adam Bucceri Renala can only successfully reborn you if you possess a great ruin I believe ah so unfortunately, ah if you give him a larval tier like he asks for and then you go to Renala's chamber 02:09:11.40 fireheartmedia Amen. 02:09:22.30 Adam Bucceri Ah, you'll find him there and he is mute and ah, clearly something is wrong with him and then the next time you rest you find that he's died. Ah and that made me very sad. Yeah. 02:09:30.98 fireheartmedia Yes, but but he is human but he is human. 02:09:37.63 Adam Bucceri He he does turn into a human. He's a naked human in his underwear wearing a goofy hat because if he didn't have his iconic hat. You'd be like who's that um, but ah yeah, he does not survive the transformation. Ah, that was a real bummer for me. 02:09:54.11 fireheartmedia Yeah,, that's a yeah, that's that's a shame and and once again, you know it's It's a really up to solution as well because I think it's literal because it is the only prattling paint that is specific in in. Ah. Saying ah in its description that it is shaped like a demihuman's mouth. 02:10:19.73 Adam Bucceri Right? Which is a wild thing to say because it's shaped like a potato like all of them. Ah, they're really ugly little things. Um. 02:10:23.48 fireheartmedia Um, yes, and yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. 02:10:37.41 Adam Bucceri Yeah, and then the ah the 1 other note that didn't come up is that in Lindell ah there is a sewer system that leads down down below the surface. Ah, which is not the subject of today's episode but ah, there's some neat stuff down there. 02:10:53.10 fireheartmedia Yep, there's so there's stuff so neat that even you didn't know about but we'll get in. Yeah yeah I mean they're all they're all awful to be. 02:10:57.84 Adam Bucceri Yeah, yeah, here's what I do know there's a lobster and it's awful. 02:11:10.50 fireheartmedia Perfectly hotest they're like the worst enemies like they actually as as soon as I got to Laernia and had learned of their range attack I was just like I actually really I like I don't say I hate enemies in firms off games a lot but I do actually hate these stupid. Rail gun lobsters. 02:11:30.20 Adam Bucceri Yeah, ah yeah, they're obstacles. They're not enemies. Yeah. 02:11:33.74 fireheartmedia Yeah, yeah, exactly? um and as far as I go hey Lindell's cool it's neat it's real pretty um, watching the day night cycle hit this area is real good. You. Do it. You shouldn't run through it all at once you should experience it at different points during the day. Ah, it's got a lot of cool bosses. It's got a lot of cool scenery and it's real good as a fake out of. The ultimate area because hey surprise it's not There's like thirty more hours of game after this surprise. 02:12:15.51 Adam Bucceri Yeah, um, Lindell I think ultimately is one of my favorite areas of the game just between like how gorgeous it looks like the density of it. How many interesting encounters. There are. Um, the statue again which like looms large as one of my favorite memories from this game. Ah, lots and lots of highlights. This is an incredibly dense area ah of highlights. 02:12:38.59 fireheartmedia A. 02:12:51.96 Adam Bucceri It is dense with with good memories for me. 02:12:53.90 fireheartmedia Yes I would agree and I think with that we are going to call it. Ah, where can people find you on the internet. My good fellow. 02:13:08.16 Adam Bucceri Yeah, ah, my name is Adam Bucherry I am a animator and game designer if you want to follow me on Twitter you can follow me at Adam Bochery and if you want to find my games. You can check out boo cherry that's boo like ghost cherry-like fruit on itchio ah, you can find my weird tabletop games. There. They're pretty good. 02:13:35.14 fireheartmedia Yes, and as far as I go you can find me on Twitter at Dr Faust is dead once again, yeah, I'll probably be posting food that I cook and pictures of my catch. And if you're interested in my professional account. You can follow at umbranots productions on ah on Twitter and if you are interested in my video essay work. You can look ah for Dr Faust is dead on Youtube. And ah if you're interested in my woefully underdeveloped ah professional channel you can look for umbranots productions on Youtube as well and with that we are going to call it here. Thank you for joining us for this episode of monster dear monster and we will. See you later bye. 02:14:34.95 Adam Bucceri Goodbye.