The Intriguing Lore of Elden Ring’s Demigods

Yeah true and it has the same “30 mins are over way to quick” feel as well

Hell yea the only lore vids I’ll ever watch

That is straight truth. Excellent, award worthy content.

@Strawberry Gemz Those Who Live in Death sprout from Deathroot which comes from Godwyn’s corpse, which would have happened after Melina’s killing and sealing. She would also be the inverse of Godwyn, as he had his spirit killed but his body remained, she had her body destroyed but her spirit lived. This is why I think Marika is the living husk instead of the other way around – which is why she can still serve as vassal of the Elden Ring when you restore her head.

As to the flame – that is up in the air for me, but still think it’s possible. The differences in affects could come down to that man can’t gaze upon that god without being driven mad, but giants could, which you see in Fire Giant phase 2. Regardless of if it is the same flame, or different outer gods – still comes down the the idea that Melina was a daughter of Marika cursed with an affliction that could end the order which is why her lineage isn’t a commonly known aspect.

I think this lines up with Melina for one, only having autonomy near the erdtree and her trying to understand the purpose Marika tried to give her. In time she realized that the Golden Order and it’s attempts to gain immortality through the erdtree and what the land needed was indiscriminate death – which she directly states – and leads her to helping you burn the tree.

In the extremely specific case of burning the tree and undoing the seal without Melina sacrificing herself leads that ending seeing her with different hair and unsealed eye just has to go somewhere. That with the heavy use of the term Destined Death in her dialog, The Gloam-Eyed Queen being the original holder of Destined Death/Rune of Death and the fact that burning the tree will unseal destined death just has to many ties for me to ignore. Also GEQ was an empyrean appointed by the Two Fingers – all empyreans we know of are Marika/Radagon and their offspring – it would be odd to me if they turned out to be different people.

@Alex that would imply that Melina is one of Those Who Live in Death. Which, being a demigod directly from Marika, just as Godwyn, she would also have turned into a giant death fish creature. You’re implying that Marika sacrificed her body to kill Melina’s spirit. If that were true, then Melina should and would be a living husk, like her brother.
Also, on a separate note, I highly doubt that the flame of frenzy and the flame of the giants are the same God. They’re fundamentally different and came about in different ways with different tactics and have different effects on their victims. I’m pretty sure that more likely Melina might be under the influence of the “fell” god of flame, the giants’ flame. She is strictly and specifically against the flame of frenzy. So much so that she straight up leaves you if you go forward with accepting the flame of frenzy. She even explains her reasoning, saying how it purely seeks to turn everything to ash, no more life, no more death, no more birth.
Furthermore, nothing in the game downright states, or at least proves, that Marika or somebody else actually defeated the god of flame. They just defeated the giants. The flame in the giant kiln remained smoldering the whole time, Godfrey simply sealed it and the land of the giants as a whole away and deemed it forsaken.

@Nope . In the games files Melina is listed as “MaricaOfDaughter”. A daughter of Marika solely would be an empyrean; if that doesn’t settle it for you idk what will

@DrTrollaux I agree, one of the things I had also considered was the “missing” eye that both Melina and Ranni have. We know that both Radigon and Marina have “sore seals that burn with the effects of the Elden Ring. It would make sense then that Melina and Ranni would “remove” their respective eyes, basically stripping themselves of their Empyrean birthright. No concrete evidence, but just a hunch. Melina would’ve removed hers to become the Kindling to burn the Erdtree, and Ranni would’ve removed hers when she destroyed herself to spite the Greater Will. Would love some discourse on this!

She mentions she is formless and her body is burnt too

Alternatively, there was originally a cool sword there, but aome other Tarnished looted the grave before you could. That one guard is really embarrassed, so he keeps watch and hopes nobody will notice the empty grave.