Destined Death & The Gloam-Eyed Queen

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#eldenring #eldenringlore #agtjake

[kylecherpy]

This also explains why you get sent to the crumbling city after the erdtree is set aflame. Melina likely used her last shards of power to send you to where Destined Death is locked away, so that you may release it.

[miguelrubio]

I think the blackflame monks betrayed their duty to watch over the giant's flame, not that they betrayed the gloam-eyed queen. A spitit summon, Amon, was a fire monk that turned traitor and swore fealty to the black flame. And it would be weird to be seduced by the black flame and then betray the queen of it. But other than that, this is a cool theory.

[Crumplednoseskin]

So, theory: The reason the player, Melina's chosen champion can become so powerful is because they are HER champion, thus empowered by death itself. There must be a reason why out of so many other tarnished, only the player succeeds at anything. The other ones couldn't even beat Godrick - and he was a f*ckin' chump.

[lancebarnard]

It also helps to know how Elden Ring names its Characters. There is an inordiante amount of characters whose names start with R, M, or G. The letter that a characters name begins with is a direct result of their parents names. All the children born to Radagon and Rennala are given an R name. All the children born of Marika and Godfrey are given a G name or an M name. All of the children born of Marika and Radagon are given an M name (only M because radagon is Marika). The empyrean's born of Marika are all given names that begin with M and end with A. Miquella, Malenia, and, in accordance with the titles afforded by the Elden naming system, Melina.

[devinguy]

Melina's line "as sure as night follows day" fits in with the Dusk-Eyed Queen theory as well. Rune of death abilities are also holy damage, and Melina uses holy powers when summoned.

[steezygrossman]

“As sure as Night follows Day. Such is my duty”

She is talking about Dusk. Just another cool little hint

[RelinquishedSoul]

This was a very good theory and another possible bit of evidence is that in Maliketh's boss room there is a statue of a woman surrounded by three wolves, and Ranni provides us with a spirit summon of three wolves when providing us with the summoning bell that belonged to 'Torrents former master'.

[alexh]

I’ve watched a few theories about the Gloam-eyed queen but this is the first one that really made me feel closer to understanding her importance within the actual game itself. I think you’re spot on about her being Melina, she’s certainly in control of Melina at the very least. Great video

[parafoxl]

Few things here:
1) A lot of things connect her to the black knife assassins, like her moveset in combat when summoned for example. Why would she be part of their order, doesn't make much sense
2) The face next to Ranni is not proven to be her. The most logical explanation, is that that face is Rannis soul controlling the puppet-body

[rootonesquare]

Hm, maybe Ranni got the idea to burn and discard her empyrean body after seeing what happened to Melina. Melina says herself that she was burnt and made bodiless. Maybe that is what destined death does to gods; strips them of their empyrean-ness and makes them ordinary powerless inhabitants of the lands between. (I still do not get what these lands are actually between)

[music-byou]

I think Melina is the Gloam-Eyed queen. I think she was Marika's preferred daughter and that Marika shared with Melina, Ranni and Miquella her plan to evade the Greater Will's influence: Melina agreed to all of it, even if it meant getting killed by Maliketh and losing destined death and her memory. She wouldn't lose her substance though, she would still be the same. Maybe she went into the land of shadows to retrieve Torrent, who is likely Miquella's steed; so did Ranni. Maybe even Mogh abducting Miquella was planned: he, being the strongest of the Empyreans and having the allure of a God, was the less likely to obey Marika, hence her making Mogh abducting him and sealing him into the realm of shadow, and Mogh recieving power in exchange. Then Marika sent Messmer to the land of shadows to avoid people from knowing where Miquella had gone. Ranni's part was to unleash the Shattering.
We, of course, will have to wait for the dlc to come out, but everything is tied to it: Ranni is a spirit, having forsworn her physical body; Melina is as well; and Miquella is trapped in the land of shadows, and is prevented from escaping by Messmer. Also, the black knives assasins can become invisible, as shadows: and in one of the dlc's posters there are metaphysical veils over the land of shadows, which would hide it.

But why is all this so complicated? Well, Marika doesn't want anyone to know the full picture, nor to be able to stop everything, right?

[gdiridium]

Interesting that the scar/tattoo on her right eye seems to be faded out in the Frenzied Flame ending too, suggesting that it was a "seal" on her power

[pizzaman]

Theres a few details that you missed that I think are important:

Firstly an additional nod to Melina being the gloam eyed queen is a nod in the dialogue when she says "...as night follows day...". What is night that follows day? Gloam.

Next, Ranni and Melina are the only 2 people that seem to be familiar with Torrent, more evidence some sort of connection between the two.

Lastly, Melina doesnt seem to be able to "walk the lands between", she only is seen at sites of grace (or close to one at least when you first see her) which are tied to the Erdtree. So she must have her spirit entwined with the Erdtree somehow.

[kaniphish]

I think its interesting that they call her the Dusk-eyed Queen before she's defeated by Maliketh and the Gloam-eyed Queen after she's defeated.
Dusk is the time before the sunset and Gloam is the time immediately after the sunset.

[Hecatoncules]

This was put together way better than any other lore ab the gloam eyed queen

[halfbakedpotatoe]

Her : I'll deliver you what is yours, destined death.
Me, who just killed gods and everything in the lands between : bitch, take a look at my rivers of blood....

[Liam-pivi]

I'm not sure if her followers betrayed her. I interpret their presence in Farum Azula to be similar to the Darkwraiths who fight their way to the Abyss Watchers in DS3; they're there to challenge Maliketh. With the item descriptions describing the intimacy between the queen and her followers, as well as maliketh taking their powers away, I would be hesitant to believe that they just decided to side with him. Thats just a hunch though, and I could be wrong.

[Karnave]

Its a long shot, but I'd love to see a DLC that expands out after the flame of frenzy ending

[HERscourge]

I think you're exactly right. I think Melina is the GEQ, and what you said at the end is important: if Melinda does not die burning the Erdtree, which only happens if we've accepted the flame of frenzy before burning the tree, then when we kill Maliketh and release the rune of death, the GEQ is restored to her former self.

It's interesting to note that if we let Melina burn the tree, and THEN go meet the three fingers the GEQ does not show up in the frenzied flame ending. Kind of deals the deal on Melina being GEQ

[AlchemistDot]

Really fantastic stuff, I love how you put a heavy emphasis on gathering info through concrete sources such as item descriptions and direct dialogue. I find a lot of theories nowadays are typically personal headcannons with any contradictions thrown away