The World Before the Shattering
Few games in modern history have constructed a mythology as layered and deliberately obscured as Elden Ring. FromSoftware, in collaboration with George R.R. Martin, built a world where history is told through item descriptions, environmental storytelling, and fractured NPC dialogue — never handed to you outright. To truly understand the Lands Between, you need to piece together the Age of the Erdtree from its scattered remains.
The Elden Ring and the Golden Order
At the heart of everything is the Elden Ring — a manifestation of the Outer God known as the Greater Will. Think of it as the fundamental law of reality itself, governing what life, death, and grace mean in this world. The Erdtree, the colossal golden tree visible from every corner of the map, is its physical symbol and the source of "grace" — a divine blessing bestowed upon chosen individuals called Tarnished.
The Golden Order was the civilisation built around this power, ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal, a god chosen by the Greater Will to wield the Elden Ring within her own body. Marika reshaped the Elden Ring multiple times to suit her will — notably removing the Rune of Death, effectively making her followers immortal and unable to truly die.
Who Are the Demigods?
Marika had children by multiple consorts, each inheriting a shard of divine power:
- Godrick the Grafted — A distant descendant who compensated for weak power by literally grafting the limbs of others onto his body.
- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon — Not a demigod by blood, but holder of a Great Rune through marriage to Radagon (who is, cryptically, also Marika herself).
- Radahn — The mightiest warrior-demigod, who held the stars in place with gravity magic to protect Sellia from Metyr's influence.
- Rykard — Who fed himself to the serpent god of blasphemy seeking immortality outside the Golden Order.
- Miquella — The most powerful empyrean, capable of compelling love in all who encountered him.
- Malenia — Miquella's twin, afflicted from birth with Scarlet Rot, yet the most fearsome warrior in the Lands Between.
The Shattering: When It All Broke
The pivotal event in Elden Ring's backstory is the Shattering. Marika, in grief and defiance after the death of her son Godwyn (the first true death in an age of immortality), shattered the Elden Ring itself — breaking the foundational law of reality. This act stripped her of divinity and caused the Erdtree to close itself off, no longer granting grace or rebirth.
Her demigod children went to war over the fragments of the Elden Ring — the Great Runes — each desperate for ultimate power. Cities burned, armies clashed, and the Lands Between were left scarred and broken. This is the world you walk into as a Tarnished: a place in desperate need of a new Elden Lord to reforge the Ring and restore (or replace) the Order.
Why the Lore Matters for Your Playthrough
Understanding this backstory transforms the game. Every boss fight becomes a tragedy. Radahn isn't a monster — he's a proud warrior reduced to animalistic madness by the Scarlet Rot eating his mind. Malenia's invasion of Caelid wasn't cruelty — it was a desperate act to retrieve her brother Miquella. The deeper you dig into Elden Ring's lore, the more the world earns genuine emotional weight.
Where to Start Your Lore Journey
- Read every item description — weapons, armour, and consumables all carry story fragments.
- Talk to NPCs multiple times after each major boss kill.
- Explore optional areas like Nokron, Eternal City and the Ainsel River for underground lore.
- Check the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for revelations about Miquella and the true nature of the Greater Will.
Elden Ring's mythology rewards patience and curiosity. The Shattering was not just a cataclysm — it was a declaration that even gods can despair. And that, more than anything, is what makes its world unforgettable.