Preface
I make no secret that I am a huge fan of the Banished Knights. Since the moment I first explored Stormveil, their shining armor battered by incessent winds and dark retinue wrapped in faded reds fascinated me. As I delved deeper into their story, their past absolutely enchanted me. They are the underdogs of this tale, the many twists and turns their people have endured weaving the most organic element to the Lands Between’s history. They are no fantastical lions or dragons or snakes, just a people in their time and place, who have since lost both, having played their key role in a monumental point in the narrative. Their legacy was to make Godfrey’s epic eb and flow, to give it that human touch. For me, there couldn’t be anything more magical.
The Wings of Rebellion
At some point during construction, the penal colonists on Stormhill rebelled. One of the bodies lying dead in Stormveil Castle’s ramparts, ironically, wields the Brick Hammer. As the description details, a laborer took a piece of the stone walls and made it a weapon with which he led a revolt, ultimately becoming a hero. Indeed, this great hammer has the highest strength requirement of its class, a level comparable to superhuman physicality — the description’s allusion to giants likewise draws comparison with the Giant-Crusher of Godfrey’s reign. In short, only a contemporaneous hero could have wielded this great hammer. And given the location, that hero must have been one of the penal colonists constructing Stormveil. He led his kinsmen against their slave masters, throwing off the shackles of oppression and taking control of the colony. Although current events prove that this didn’t last, the finished castle would at least start out as an independent home to the astray Farum colonists from Altus.
Weapon using the stone wall’s brickstone as is. Choice weapon of a laborer in revolt who later became a hero.
It is particularly heavy even among great hammers, so requires giant-like strength.
This rebellion wasn’t accomplished by their efforts alone, however. A corpse in Stormveil holds the Hawk Crest Wooden Shield. The description clarifies said hawk to be the old heraldry of Stormveil which has since been “forgotten”, meaning that it hasn’t been used since the castle fell back under the Golden Lineage’s control. In other words, the crest could only have been used during the period when Stormveil was under the penal colonists’ control. And why employ the hawk as their symbol if not in league with the species also calling Stormhill home? Despite the localization simply dubbing them “wings of the storm”, Oleg and Engvall were in reality called the “Storm King’s Twin Wings”, (嵐の王の双翼) Engvall in particular noted for continually defending the “kingless” castle in the description to his ashes. The fact that both Banished Knights ended up buried in Limgrave guarantees that the text refers to Stormveil, meaning that it was once ruled by a king with them as his bodyguards. And who would be their king of the storm except the local king hawk who brought the storm?
Some fans have posited Placidusax as this Storm Lord since the dragon is also a winged king with some mastery over storms. However, the old Elden Lord possesses far more than two wings, which would render Oleg and Engvall’s Twin Wing moniker nonsensical. This leaves the old stormhawk king as the only viable candidate for the Storm King. He was the one who gave Stormveil a true storm, a deadly power the penal colonists were all too familiar with. Having the winds at their side would make the rebellion’s chances all the more favorable. Moreover, the stormhawks and colonists have a prior history that made broaching an alliance easy. The old king and his avian subjects might not strictly care about human colonizers, but they were liable to feel kinship with the laborers who had treated their kind so well in the past. And if these rebellious slaves were willing to recognize the hawk as their king, why not help drive out their oppressors?
Therefore, it was the joint effort of a heroic rebel leader and the king of the hill which freed Stormveil from the Erdtree kingdom’s control. As to when this rebellion occurred, it was most likely amidst the Ancient Dragon War. Recall that the main factor in the Banished Knights’ passivity in settling the frontier for their enemies was loss of will. But could they remain despondent when word reached them of the motherland’s retaliation? Both the colonists and the stormhawks bear deep personal connections to Farum Azula, so the dragons’ war against the Erdtree was sure to move their hearts. On top of that, the first Liurnian War may well have disrupted supply chains between Leyndell and the frontier, with Gransax’s subsequent attack sure to further delay deliveries to the colony. An upset in supplies would only weaken their handlers and agitate the colonists, who would bear the brunt of the shortages. It only takes one brave laborer hearing word on the grapevine of the attack on the royal capital to spark that powder keg. Everything had come together to destine the rebellion.
This resurgence in cultural pride can be seen in the immediate aftermath of Stormveil’s independence. As the castle finished construction, the colonists were rearming in their traditional equipment. With that came a return of their classic icons: the Erdtree, Serosh, and dragons. In the case of the latter, we see the former penal colonists fashion not just their old dragon crest banners but also mounted flamethrowers in draconic style. Alongside that, they restored their ancestral practice of dragon communion, building a church on an island off the west coast of Limgrave. Even now that the area lies in ruins, anyone can visit and perform the proper ceremony to consume dragon hearts and gain their arcane powers. Naturally, many did partake; the spirits of Banished Knights buried in the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave perform the faith’s incantations with the corresponding sacred seal. At the same time, stormhawks had gained a new importance to the residents of Stormveil.
Besides shield heraldry, the avian image is featured on the colonists’ defenses and ballistae. In similar fashion, hawk statues commonly juxtapose the Erdtree reliefs above gateways and ornament some important rooms. But most notable are the additions to the entrance to Limgrave’s Divine Tower. Even before the Erdtree reliefs on the bridge’s archway, the preceding tower is decorated with a mix of tree and dragon banners; a carpet with the stylized beast crest on the floor, flanked by suits of Banished Knight armor kneeling in respect. Why the added ceremony? Likely because the bridge and tower once served as an audience chamber for their new king. The bridge currently attracts a number of stormhawks on the far aside, with their lesser cousins perching on this tower alone. What better place for the hawk leader to reside? The initial fanfare plus long trek across the bridge creates the perfect atmosphere for meeting such a fearsome yet hallowed figure. The corpse at the start does carry a Boltdrake Talisman — the pagans knew they were walking into a tempest.
For the dragon worshipers, the hour must have rung like the rebirth of their age-old civilization, a renaissance promising greater glory across the Lands Between than ever previously imagined. Indeed, we do see a certain fervor to spread their dominion to every corner. While it is possible that Stormgate was built during the days of the penal colony to regulate access up Stormhill, the same cannot be said for other infrastructure. For example, the current Erdtree highway from Stormveil Castle to the Weeping Peninsula is facilitated by two bridges, one spanning the mouth of the Murkwater valley; the second, the strait at Limgrave’s southernmost tip. Both are made in the Norman style and use plain tiling, indicating that they preceded the highway — in other words, were built by Stormveil during their independence. The Bridge of Sacrifices in particular is what makes the Weeping Peninsula a peninsula, demonstrating Stormveil’s firm desire to reconnect the long-isolated island with the mainland.
But the rebels did not come bearing an olive branch. The Spelldrake Talisman from Earthbore Cave implies that the visiting dragon worshipers actually had conflict with sorcerers of the Demi-Human Forest Ruins. (Site D) As added evidence, the Forest Lookout Tower specifically overlooks the wooded area from an adjacent clifftop, the leftover equipment and ruined walls conveying the small fort that Stormveil’s forces once built to manage this region. The remains of another such fort sits on the overhang overlooking the western shore, preempting escape by boat. From this, the rebels took over Site D and presumably the Ailing Village with it. Their main prize, however, was the southern mount where they built Castle Morne. Being their second major base, the Norman fortress was outfitted with all the same equipment as Stormveil, and that wasn’t the only perk for a place of its size.
The invaders built a massive wall at the end of the ravine the main road follows, segregating Morne from the villages under occupation. Set up to arm its own garrison, we can identify at least one of its likely defenders. The nomadic merchant camping between Laskyar and Stormveil predictably sells items related to both areas. Aside from basic astrologer equipment, he also offers the Kite Shield, whose face depicts a bird grasping a sword in obvious connection to the hawk-aligned warriors at the castle. How curious since this shield specifically is featured in the menu graphic for Barricade Shield, a defensive ash of war associated with a knight named Neidhardt. Where do we find this ash? In the possession of a Night’s Cavalry patrolling the peninsula’s great wall, atop which lies a corpse carrying the Great Turtle Shield with the same skill. In short, Neidhardt was a Banished Knight stationed at this rampart. With such an impressive defense, the rebels were firmly entrenched in the south.
Meanwhile, back in Limgrave, the rebel architecture was also being extended east ways. To the north was the construction of Saintsbridge connecting Stormveil to Caelid via Summonwater Village. While its eponymous saint statues also adorn the bridge linking Stormveil to the Liurnia highway, this viaduct lacks the Erdtree cross engravings on its tiling. This means that it was in all likelihood created after the penal colonists established independence. Given the level of civilization between the frontier lands east and west, it is no surprise that the rebels built a more direct route between them. Stormveil’s trade with the Sellian network of settlements was sure to ramp up, far more than with its southern holdings; more people, more traffic. This means that Saintsbridge would be facilitating the main road in this Stormveil empire. That is probably why they made the added effort to decorate the bridge with statues, just like with the Liurnia highway bridge.
Although this and Stormgate made the previous route virtually obsolete, it wasn’t as if the rebels planned to neglect the Mistwood region. They did establish Fort Haight down further south, on a hill along the ocean precipice beyond Mistwood — another Norman construct with all the expected equipment in its stores. Much like the Forest Lookout Tower on the peninsula, the primary purpose of this garrison was seemingly to oversee Eochaid, keeping the ascetics of Mistwood in line; it also had good view of the neighboring beach, should a maritime invasion ever be in the cards. Still, Fort Haight was evidently meant to only be a satellite station for Stormveil, one of many more to come.
Further east into Caelid exist Forts Gael and Faroth, the former perched over the entirety of Limgrave as well as Caelem; the latter, bordering Farum Azula with overview of Sellia. In fact, before reaching the sorcery town, the highway must pass through the Sellia Gateway, identical to Stormgate. The Gateway’s upper level is also the only way to access the Swamp Lookout Tower overseeing the entire region the highway follows. And we can only reach this upper level by climbing the mountain slopes from Sellia. Behind the gate, Gowry sits in the same chair with hawk design used by Farum colonists. Finally, there is Redmane Castle on the southeastern island, accessible solely by the Impassible Greatbridge. That last example looks to have been constructed with sandstone rather than the typical limestone, but each one of these Norman fortifications keeps the predictable armaments, leaving no question to their builders; for Redmane specifically, both variations of the Farum chairs. By all indications, Stormveil’s rebel army occupied everything between it and Farum Azula.
They certainly considered Caelid their territory. Roughly midway between the Sellia Gateway and Redmane Castle, a basin harbors a crystal tear which has garnered a windy nature from its environment, befitting the storm-wielding Banished Knights. Moreover, on a hill by the roadside between Fort Gael and Redmane Castle sits the Cathedral of Dragon Communion — two practicing Banished Knights still guarding the ruins to this day. The larger church correlates with the closer proximity to the dragon faith’s homeland and is easily accessible to all the worshipers’ strongholds except Fort Faroth, which is already closer to the dragon capital. Every which way, the rebels have left their mark on the land. We even see that Sellia was integrated into their military and economy.
Back west, the Dragon-Burnt Ruins (Site B) looks to have been a mining town, as the settlement is closest to the Limgrave Tunnels. This requires us to cross Agheel Lake, but the lake itself appears to be a more recent phenomenon. The area is rife with dead trees which would never have grown to maturity to begin with if the waters were always so widespread; even Site B is flooded. Clearly, the lake results from uncontrolled overflow from the Murkwater valley which naturally spills into the depression. The apparent cause is the destruction of the town, its residents no longer managing the water flow. Before that, the region was a woodland field, which anyone could traverse with relative ease. And at Site B, we can open a chest warping us to Sellia Crystal Tunnel. Assuming that a similar chest back once existed in the Caelid mine, the town was set up to quickly collect and process smithing stone from both tunnels for Stormveil. They may have even operated smithies, considering a Twinblade is stored in another chest in the ruins. This makes it the perfect facility for the rapidly expanding rebels.
However, the migrating army wasn’t simply welcomed in by the agnostic sorcery town. Hughues is a born Sellian who studied to become a Haima battlemage at Raya Lucaria. And yet, according to the description of his ashes, this sorcerer dedicated to quelling conflict ironically came to seek it after a point. Why? We need only see how Hughues is imprisoned in the Sellia Evergaol. Something back home incited him to fight and be forcibly arrested. The obvious answer would be foreign occupation, the beefy and patriotic battlemage resisting the invaders disturbing his humble home on behalf of his feebler kinsmen. As a result, he was made an example of, thrown in an evergaol resting overhead of town at Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow — a constant reminder of a rebellious sorcerer’s fate hanging above the Sellians’ heads. There are no signs of religious persecution by the dragon worshipers, but it is recognizable that, south or east, anyone living on the frontier now had to answer to the Farum faithful.
Ashen remains harboring a spirit. Summons spirit of Hughues, battle sorcerer.
Hughues is from the town of Sallia, learned in the Haima class at the Academy, and became a battle sorcerer. The “one who quells battle” wielding cannon and judgment nevertheless came to seek battle one day.
Some were more willing to adapt to their new masters. We encounter a magma wyrm as the boss of Gael Tunnel, implying that one of the miners committed to dragon communion. This by itself isn’t anything special for a mine in former rebel territory. However, defeating the wyrm rewards us with Moonveil, a katana designed to be wielded by sorcerers. This means that the miner in question was once such a sorcerer, specifically with ties to Raya Lucaria. In other words, the rebels had converts among the local populace, sorcerers willing to adopt their religion if only out of curiosity about the powers of a dragon. Even if this was only a handful of the population, it reveals that the insurgents’ occupation wasn’t universally hated. In the end, it only took a few fortifications to annex the entire region.
Even if we assume that all these construction projects went much smoother than Stormveil Castle on account of better weather conditions, their sheer number and occasionally scale still requires a decent amount of time to pass. Put simply, the victorious rebels were allowed to spread across the frontier and secure their holdings a long while before Leyndell properly retaliated. This only makes sense in the context of the Ancient Dragon War, where the Erdtree capital would be too distracted by the more imminent threat at hand to concern itself with its remote penal colony — out of sight, out of mind. While the Golden Lineage contended with dragons, the fringefolk would support their masters from the rear, building up their future empire so as to better coordinate when their inevitable sweep to retake the northern uplands finally came.
These weren’t just delusions on the dragon worshipers’ part, as we can see that ancient dragons presided over the two dragon communion churches. The Banished Knights and beastmen skeletons with Sun Realm Shield in Farum Azula likewise affirm that the fringefolk provided material support to the ancient dragons during its last days on earth. The rebels did have their divine’s attention, and likely helped defend their ancestral home when the Erdtree kingdom retaliated during the Ancient Dragon War. They, of course, didn’t commit all their fighting forces to the beast capital’s defense, probably because they assumed that any attack would be stopped in its tracks by the Dragon King’s stone wall. Never would they expect Farum Azula’s ultimate defeat.
Into the Eye of the Storm
Now that the ancient dragons were dealt with, Leyndell could turn its attention to its insurgent colony. No doubt, the time spent developing the dragon cult had also been used to recuperate losses and prepare for the inevitable southern campaign. The aims of this foreign excursion were simple: recapture lost territory and clean up the last remnants of Farum Azula. However, such an operation promised the Erdtree kingdom total hegemony over all the Lands Between. That likelihood couldn’t have been lost on Marika and was sure to factor into the planning for Godfrey’s war southward. These were the last of the Erdtree’s enemies. Once they had tamed the frontier, the Eternal Queen would rule over a united continental empire. This would also be the furthest the army had ever marched from the royal capital, perhaps its longest stay away from home. The military needed to stand ready at its full potential. They couldn’t afford a single mistake making hasty preparations.
The downside of this methodical approach is that it gave the enemy more time to shore up their defenses. The dragon worshipers were certain to know what became of Farum Azula, and one didn’t require the power of prophesy to foresee how Leyndell would respond next. It was only a matter of time before Stormveil had an army at its doorstep; they needed to act quickly. And what do we find in the Stranded Graveyard adjoining the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave? A Haligdrake Talisman — proof they were ready to defend against the Erdtree kingdom. The frontiersmen still had the home field advantage, and they knew what was coming, unlike many of the Golden Order’s past opponents. The rebels just needed to rebuff the enemy until its resources were too exhausted to capture the castle. Key to that would be grinding them down before they even reached its ramparts. And so, as to be expected, Stormveil pushed its defensive lines further out prior to formal hostilities.
In Liurnia stands another Highway Lookout Tower, overseeing the Academy Gate Town from atop the natural arch looming over the roadway. Once again, the style of architecture and leftover weapons indicate that the ruined rise was built by the rebels, and its situation between Gate Town and Stormveil reveal from where. In all probability, the castle wanted a clear view to monitor the academy’s movements in case armies mobilized. Due to the rush to preempt Leyndell, there was no time to build an entire new fort as the buffer, so the storm wielders opted for a strategic tower. The rocky arch made for the perfect chokepoint to halt any assault down the causeway, so the lookouts need only send a signal for the dragon worshipers to mobilize to the proper location. This likely meant occupying the Purified Ruins (Site P) just behind that defensive line to ward off possible retaliation from the sorcerers of Laskyar. Indeed, Stormveil was definitely proactive in securing this chokepoint.
Opposite the tower, on the other end of the highway, is a sloping plateau running parallel to the road all the way up to the bridge to Gate Town. This is notable because, as we ascend the slope to the end, we come across graveyards at three intervals. All are far and away from Site P compared to the Cliffbottom Catacombs further south. This leaves each to be remnants of a string of battles up the cliffs, involving both soldiers and sorcerers based on the skeletons rising from the boneyards. But the plateau ends at the Eastern Liurnia Lake Shore, far too south of the Liurnian Wars. It also wasn’t purely a conflict between Raya Lucaria and Stormveil, as patrolling the dirt road of the plateau is a knight from Leyndell. Why have a knight guard such an out of the way location unless he was left to ensure rebellious dragon worshipers remained dead and buried, much like the knights stationed at the Wyndham Catacombs? In short, the graves must be the result of a Liurnia and Leyndell coalition force against the Stormveil army. And why fight up there unless that was where to find the enemy?
The Road’s End Catacombs and its accompanying graveyard rests beneath the Minor Erdtree of Western Liurnia. This is odd when it was clearly constructed by sorcerers, employing magic blue firelight and illusory walls in abundance. Moreover, it is academy affiliates who are interred there; defeating the boss in the root chamber rewards glintstone sorcerer ashes while a chest before the altar in another chamber reserves Raya Lucaria soldier ashes. Why bury them there, so far from any town or village, let alone the academy? Adding to the peculiarities, the catacomb interred mundane warriors as well. We acquire the Sword Dance ash of war from a scarab on the eponymous dead-end road amongst the headstones. Meanwhile, the boss of the area proper is a spirit-caller snail summoning an Ordovis and Siluria knight, meaning that the otherwise missing members of Godfrey’s sixteen are entombed there too. This all but guarantees the Elden Lord’s presence in Liurnia at their time of death, which the rebellion on the frontier justifies.
Therefore, the catacomb was most likely constructed to honor those who fought the highway battle in the name of the Erdtree, burying them under one of its progeny whether they be Altus native or Liurnian convert. The Rose Church, located east of this Minor Erdtree and enshrining no icon, would have likewise been established to consecrate those burials as the bodies were transported from the Academy Gate Town, similar to how the Church of Elleh serves as a stop point between the Gatefront Ruins (Site G) and Fringefolk Hero’s Grave. The catacomb may have been treated as a substitute for the traditional tomb to heroes; it is curious that the three lands with catacombs under Minor Erdtrees — Liurnia, Weeping Peninsula, and Caelid — all lack a hero graves area. Regardless, this mortuary system reveals that the coalition force struggled to simply brute force their way through the enemy line. If Godfrey wanted to claim victory, then they had to try a more creative approach.
Another Erdtree highway stretches from the Eastern Liurnia Lake Shore to the Liurnia Lake Shore down south, weaving through the forests and streets of Gate Town and Laskyar. This route is of little benefit to Leyndell when the existing road already facilitates continuous transit from the capital all the way to Stormveil. The Liurnian Wars also never stretched farther than the Eastern Tableland, so it can’t be related to a military purpose in those two campaigns. That being the case, the road was most likely paved during this period against the fringefolk. It can certainly serve a military purpose, streamlining marches and supply lines from the Gate Town to Laskyar. We also find a scarab west of Laskyar, rolling up the ash of war for Vow of the Indomitable; a shield skill of the old Erdtree warriors. Despite its defensive nature, that momentary invincibility via the protection of gold is perfect for a force advancing against an enemy unable to mount a sustained counteroffensive — the user simply withstands the first blow while the group neutralizes the threat. And doesn’t this highway enable that tactic?
Battle art of the Golden Tree’s old warriors. Raise shield and enwrap self in the power of gold to become momentarily invincible.
Recall that Laskyar is the main point to strike behind the enemy line. If Godfrey could quickly march an army down around the chokepoint, they could plow straight through from behind before the rebels had a chance to shore up Site P. So long as they survived the brief window of a scrambled enemy counterattack, that blitzkrieg would decisively break the defensive line with minimal losses. To do that, the coalition needed to work rapidly yet discreetly. Thus, bearing all this in mind, the troops stationed at Gate Town probably continued to pressure the front line as a distraction, keeping the enemy’s attention on them and luring the defense into a false sense of security about their plans. With Godfrey sending even some of his own Crucible Knights on these suicide runs, the fringefolk would never suspect that these were anything but serious attempts to break through their set up. Meanwhile, the highway was quietly built out, perhaps using the cover of fog and trees to evade notice from the lookout tower. By the time the defenders realized it was all a ploy, it was too late. The coalition had moved the main army over to Laskyar and pushed through Site P, completely outflanking their opponents.
The defensive line was decimated, the Highway Lookout Tower reduced to ruin. Suddenly, the encampments’ advantageous position up the slope was flipped on its head. They were now trapped on the high ground, cut off from home. The coalition could simply grind them down while slowly ascending the plateau — it was their turn to face the suicide run. As the different graveyards across this relatively small upland show, the rebels continued the fight at every juncture. Despite their dwindling numbers and hopeless situation losing ground, they kept trying to break through, evidently bringing down some sorcerers in the process. But in the end, they were all either killed or forced to surrender. However, the Liurnians would take no prisoners. Among the spellcaster skeletons at the Gate Town cemetery is the odd militiaman, bandit, and — most notably — executioner. Since both Liurnian Wars ended with a stalemate, the only opportunity to execute defeated armies in the region was after the fringefolk’s defeat at the highway. One way or another, that plateau would be their grave.
With the sorcerers no longer under threat, the Erdtree army was able to move onto the main objective. However, they were at a crossroads. If they proceeded along the main highway to the bridge, they would invariably run up against another heavily defended chokepoint at the bridge straddling Liurnia and Limgrave. Indeed, we can find a string of headstones on the cliffs next to the highway at the entrance to this narrow passage, so there were clashes at this bridge. And unlike the natural arch, there was no way to circumvent the path, meaning that they would need to simply trudge through another suicide run. And their reward? Reaching only the castle gates. How many able-bodied men could Godfrey sacrifice before capturing Stormveil was simply impossible? Clearly, not too many, as he chose to take the alternative.
The Erdtree highway through Laskyar continues all the way up the hill to the back of Stormveil, implicating this as their main avenue for attack. The Elden Lord only needed to station enough troops to secure the bridge, forcing the enemy to make the suicide run if they wanted to counterattack. Otherwise, the main force would proceed to the castle’s rear. Considering the graves at Laskyar, the rebels might have realized the coalition’s aim and moved to intercept first. But however that played out, Godfrey led the troops up to Stormveil’s ramparts. There the real battle began as the coalition attempted to surmount the castle walls, with heavy losses on both sides. Headstones litter all along the clifftops, local skeletons almost exclusively spellcasters, though a corpse among them does carry warming stones. Conversely, the back end of the castle houses flat-topped graves among others. The pagans under assault had their dead buried on the spot, constantly minding the walls. It was a fierce battle.
Finally, came the duel between Godfrey and the Storm Lord. The use of ikkiuchi (一騎打ち) specifically implies single combat within the context of a larger battle. This can be either a random encounter on the battlefield or a fight arranged while the two opposing armies stand by and watch. In all likelihood, the stormhawk king challenged the Warlord to the latter. For one, both his so-called Twin Wings survive him, faithfully protecting the hawk’s castle in his absence up through the reign of King Morgott. If this duel with the Elden Lord was happenstance, then where were they to lay down their lives for their lord before the kings clashed? Then there are the circ*mstances of the battle, suggesting a prolonged struggle at the walls before the fighting ended. The hawk could fly down upon any opponent of his choosing. Why had he not descended upon the enemy commander sooner if he was willing to bout? Rather, it appears as if the storm king entered the fray to settle the bloodshed as the bodies continued to pile up. And so, their duel was a formal challenge to decide the battle.
Both sides had reasons to respect this arrangement. For the old stormhawk king, there was responsibility to his subjects. Countless were dying to defend the walls, and that could only continue for so long. The Altus and Liurnia coalition force doubtless had more soldiers to spare, and the sheer number of sorcerers among the dead may suggest that the Liurnians were the ones placed on the front line, given the opportunity to pay back the rebels’ second invasion. This means that Godfrey still had most of his troops in reserve, highlighting Stormveil’s disadvantage despite the superior defensive position. The only option was to call in reinforcements from across the frontier, but the Storm Lord plainly didn’t believe that they would arrive in time, which reinforces the direness of the situation. In that case, his best hope was to appeal to Godfrey’s honor and let a duel to the death decide things. If the demigod fell, the coalition would retreat and never return. If the hawk fell, the castle garrison would submit to Leyndell’s rule, sparing their lives and place at the castle.
Any strategist could tell you that this was a desperate gamble, but the stormhawk king shared a certain kinship with Godfrey. After all, both kings possessed an animal ferocity and proved to appreciate a simple, straightforward battle. Each lord was likewise inspirations to his troops with the responsibility that comes with that. Was Godfrey, especially with counsel from Serosh, to ignore a challenge of strength and simply keep grinding the enemy down? Even if victory was assured, would he be willing to waste time and manpower wiping out the rebels to the last man? He had already lost two of his best knights. Did he really wish to risk losing more? All of these considerations make the Elden Lord liable to accept the hawk’s duel. The Storm Lord had the same considerations — was it not better for his subjects to live on Stormhill as vassals to another than die as hopeless defenders to a lost cause; was he willing to let the hawks become a mere memory at their ancient homeland? In the end, he trusted Godfrey to be a good master to his people should he fall in battle.
Again, I am Nepheli Loux. Warrior. There are those who also call me King, but I have changed none. I have simply abandoned guidance…
We see this sentiment reflected in the Storm Lord after death. Nepheli Loux, whose surname betrays her as Godfrey’s descendant, is selected as heir to Stormveil after receiving the stormhawk king’s ashes. Despite lacking a sense for spirits like Roderika, she is still able to deduce that they belong to a hawk by the smell of the “old storm” as a former owner. And when next seen as the heir, she vows to “call” that storm, implying the proud stormhawk will answer her summons. Why forego his pride unless he recognizes her connection to the king who honorably bested him as an equal in single combat — not to mention her sincerity, treating him with care and respect on account of fondly remembering her first hawk; the hawk from when she first vowed as a warrior to blow away the “filth” on the winds. It is someone of Godfrey’s family line with the ancestral hawk king’s support whom a local feudal lord like Kenneth Haight can accept as his new king over Limgrave.
… Ahh, I have found the king. King Nepheli is properly strong. She deserves to be entrusted as the rightful ruler of Limgrave. I, Kenneth Haight, believe so.
This incident also leaves no doubt that ownership of Stormveil was stipulated in the spoils for that duel between hawk and demigod. In one epic confrontation, the entire battle was to be decided, and in the end, Godfrey emerged victorious. The Storm Lord’s remains were apparently moved to the Chapel of Anticipation along with those of loyal vassals like Deenh, presumably because it is where the heavy winds blow in from the sea — the strong-minded king certainly loves to get out and smell the fresh air, even as ash. This was the most fitting honor a fellow king could bestow to a worthy adversary. Standing tall on that island, his grave would always look on at the majesty of the castle he briefly ruled. The respect the stormhawk king earned from the Elden Lord is palpable and seems to have left a lasting impression — as Nepheli alludes, Godfrey did later choose to reside in a land with similar hawks. Their encounter might have been brief, but the memory of their pivotal battle would forever be cherished.
Home Away from Home
With the duel over and Stormveil falling into the Erdtree kingdom’s grasp, there was more to do than just the final rites to the fallen. By the time cleanup for the battle began, Godfrey must have realized the full scope of the rebellion, with the insurgents spread across the whole frontier. Whatever initial expectations, this wasn’t going to be a quick sweep over a remote backwater. Marika’s “sidestream” had become a mess of distributaries. It would take time to uproot such a thoroughly entrenched enemy. Fortunately for the Erdtree kingdom, its golden army had already cleared one of the largest hurdles. With the Stormhill colony reclaimed, they had cut off the head of the proverbial serpent while simultaneously obtaining the perfect launch point for further incursions into the region. In short, Godfrey was to convert Stormveil Castle into a base of operations for a prolonged southern campaign, his largest yet.
He most definitely made himself at home. Various furniture and decor have been haphazardly stored inside the castle walls, many of which are common to Leyndell. From this, we can infer that Godfrey imported all the luxuries he enjoyed at the royal capital for his living arrangement. In the peace time since his absence, these spare amenities were gradually moved out to storage for one reason or another, hence cluttering the rampart passages despite conflict recently reigniting with the Shattering. Adopting Stormveil as his new home is also likely why we find two Crucible Knights in the area. One guards the chapel outside the western walls, even now that it lies in ruins. Another Ordovis knight hides in the Stormhill Evergaol, thus implicitly already staying at the nearby castle when imprisoned. What would keep them in this faraway land for so long except loyalty to their king who made the fortress his palace? Stormveil became Godfrey’s home base in every sense. Not just for him but also his wife.
The Church of Irith built at the boneyard behind Stormveil enshrines her icon, so she must have visited the castle at least by the battle’s end. Indeed, why wouldn’t the queen come to commemorate her husband’s victory? Pacifying the rebels of their frontier colony was the objective, and she never had the chance to tour the finished castle. Therefore, her leave from domestic affairs of the capital to witness the new extent of her empire isn’t surprising. And if Godfrey was staying for the foreseeable future, why not her? Her grown children could handle affairs back home on her behalf. Staying wouldn’t affect her research into Order either — the new highway conveniently facilitates quick and easy travel from Stormveil all the way to the Carian Study Hall, allowing the god queen to join in her other half’s inquiries at her leisure. Whether or not that was the specific intention to the road’s extent, moving out to the remote countryside cost her nothing. If anything, it was where she was most needed, for the royalty’s presence was important to keeping a tight grip over their recaptured colony.
Towering over the aforementioned pagan graveyard is a classical style rotunda, which stands out from the rest of the castle’s Norman architecture but fits right in with Leyndell. Ornamenting the building’s interior and exterior are icons of the Erdtree, Marika pouring her vessel, the flower picker, and — most importantly — Godfrey with Serosh standing triumphantly behind a third Elden Throne. Taken together, it is obvious that the king built for himself an audience chamber for his stay at Stormveil, projecting his power and superiority as the Erdtree’s champion. The location was just as propagandistic as the iconography, anyone seeking an audience forced to pass reminders of those who perished foolishly resisting his will — statues of Erdtree Sentinels bearing down upon them. For comparison, the Storm Lord’s old audience chamber also has the same watchful eyes of stone Sentinels preceding it. Together with the icons of a prince holding up a shield present a strong image of the Crown preserving the status quo.
The message is clear: there is a new king in town, and he had the strength to ensure that never changed. No one would think of rebelling again so long as Godfrey still lived, and he made sure none of them could forget it. The Warlord’s portrait hangs above the entryway to the main chapel of the castle church. Another, far larger, painting hangs in the dining hall — though the concept art used depicts his axe broken, which doesn’t occur until after he left the Lands Between in the Long March. Regardless of any anachronism, these paintings make it impossible to attend mass or eat a meal without being reminded of the Elden Lord. Furthermore, a corpse in Stormveil possesses the Wooden Greatshield depicting a sword flanked by two leonine beasts, Godfrey’s symbol. In fact, green banners featuring his beast crest hang everywhere, including from the wall; those in particular held up by golden beast grotesques.
On the subject of gold, the Erdtree’s signature color became just as much a motif to showcase who was now in charge. Neogothic gold ornamentation crowns the castle’s battlements, and the same accents the rest of the infrastructure. New species of tree and bush with bright yellow leaves are also planted all around the castle inside and out. In particular, these peculiar plants are concentrated around the main path leading from the outer gate, through the inner baileys, to Godfrey’s throne room. The aforementioned graveyard leading up to the audience chamber additionally grows the golden flowers derived from the Erdtree’s sacred sap. No other fortification captured by the Erdtree kingdom has received this level of embellishment. The only purpose to these gaudy additions is to instill the image of gold dominating the Farum colonists’ construction as they walk up to an audience with its highland master. This makes sense in the context of King Godfrey projecting his secure hold over the castle.
The method isn’t unprecedented. The Chapel of Anticipation cemetery from the Age of Plenty has gold infused into its soil, which explains the total yellowing of foliage on the island — with the golden flowers also replete among the graves. Clearly, the Erdtree kingdom was more than willing to employ this kind of technique way back when construction on Stormveil first began. The secluded churchyard wasn’t bottom of mind either since it was decided to inter the Storm Lord and his kin at the small church itself, where it would also receive the Neogothic facelift. If all that gold at the chapel graveyard wasn’t enough to stop a rebellion, then maybe they just needed to plaster it across the whole penal colony. Now everyone knew that this place belonged to Godfrey and his Golden Lineage, residents and visitors alike. The one saving grace for the beaten rebels is that the Elden Lord fully intended to fulfill his promise and be a good steward to the Storm Lord’s former subjects.
Before we can even approach Godfrey’s tower, we must pass through one last gate on the main path. This entrance bombards visitors with much of the same imagery to come; sentinel statues flank the sides, lion reliefs adorn the walls, and female grotesques pour their vessels overhead — or would if, like the grotesques of the castle chapel, their figures hadn’t broken from prolonged weathering in the storm. However, there is one curious detail above the gateway itself: a line of sage statues, similarly lost to the elements. The choice of icon over the saint variant gives the impression of wanting a dialogue. While that might sound odd given the show of strength just beyond this corridor, the idea seems to be more the carrot-and-stick approach. The same hawk figure paired with the Erdtree above the inner main gate hangs just beneath these sages. This suggests a willingness to accommodate the penal colonists.
Certainly, there was a cultural mollification. Like with the case of the Fortified Manor, Godfrey ultimately left up much of the dragon and hawk iconography around the castle, including banners; his throne room even incorporates hawks alongside the lion and shield prince figures. That comparison with the castle manor they come from is especially apt judging by the similar circ*mstances facing the penal colonists now. Once again, they have been conquered. Once again, a beast negotiated on their behalf. Once again, they have traded their lives for their land and freedom. The only difference this time is that they were allowed to stay at the home they lost, much like the garrison of Castle Sol. And noble Godfrey, appreciating an honest fight, tried to reconcile with the men and birds forced to submit.
Looking beyond Stormveil, Godfrey apparently had a new arena constructed on the hill out a short ways east. That decision isn’t surprising. If he was going to be away from the royal capital for so long, he may as well bring his favorite form of entertainment with him. Though far smaller than the colosseum in Leyndell, it is much the same as the original. The main differences are the smoldering braziers — understandable considering the constant gale — beast crest banners, and statues flanking Marika’s icon in the actual fighting pit. Even battered by the winds, it is undeniable the figure depicted is saint, not Sentinel. The obvious implication is that it is the pagans of Stormveil supporting Godfrey’s god for the glory of the Erdtree the arena faces, upholding their Golden Order there. Such propaganda is them extending a hand to cooperate rather than simply imposing their absolute will. The Warlord had nonetheless been choosing to respect their culture rather than erase it.
But make no mistake, tolerance is not acceptance. Levers to the mechanisms in Stormveil feature the same tree design seen in Leyndell. This is notable because other fortifications built by Farum colonists, from Shaded Castle to Caria Manor, instead use a different design featuring a hawk’s head. The details to these levers aren’t always relevant to FromSoftware; all tunnels use the hawk style lever while all catacombs use the Eternal City style one. Evidently, the developers often chose the model that best blended in with their other generic assets. However, this makes it all the odder that they broke pattern from the other castles. Swapping out the levers indicates that this is more than just fitting the ambience. Indeed, the only prior examples of replacing the lever are at the Fortified and Volcano Manors, one that Godfrey had made his dwelling; another where he put down a rebellion. In other words, the choice of tree over hawk is probably to reflect the Elden Lord embedding himself in the pagan space, making it comport more to his values.
Suffice to say, Godfrey wasn’t full-heartedly embracing the rebels as equals and brothers in faith. His love for the people he conquered only went so far. As the Hawk Shield insinuates, never would they be permitted to fight in that name. The stormhawk nation was to be forgotten. They were subjects of the Erdtree kingdom now, and the Warlord made sure they abandoned that old crest. What he left in place was a compromise for them to conform if not assimilate. No matter his personal affinity for the Storm Lord, this was a pragmatic decision to reduce friction in the transition of power. Neither he nor Marika cared if they continued protecting the castle out of some personal patriotism and silent defiance. They could die as pagans in their home so long as they bowed their heads. And clearly, it worked.
We can see that the Banished Knights and exile soldiers have been mainstays at the castle up until the present era, as have the resident stormhawks. The garrison honored the Storm Lord’s last will and chose to live as guards on behalf of the Golden Lineage, even if that meant never raising the hawk crest in their castle again. They would protect Stormveil in Godfrey’s absence if not actively assist in bringing their former comrades to heel. There may have been some stubborn souls who still refused to yield — there is an executioner among the sorcerers rising from the Irith graves. However, most steadfast rebels had almost certainly fled the castle when they saw that the battle was lost. But their hour of judgement was close at hand. With the Erdtree king and queen moving in, it was finally time to bring the entire continent within bounds of the Golden Order.
From Hill to Weeping Sea
During all the redecorating, the campaign continued. As soon as they were ready to mobilize, Erdtree troops had probably begun securing the immediate area, namely Stormhill. We can find yet another graveyard in vicinity of the castle, on a knoll out front to the west. A number of the skeletons buried there are knights bearing the Sun Realm Shield, so these were undoubtedly troops who died fighting as outsiders to Stormveil. Add to that, there is a coffin cemetery and cliffside graveyard opposite side of the highway. Further east lies the Death-touched Catacombs, some of whose skeletons possess the Scripture Wooden Shield like in the Auriza Hero’s Grave back on Altus. Factoring it all together, the Erdtree army was most likely busy cleaning up the stragglers who refused to bend the knee and retreated into the forests and crags awaiting reinforcements. Godfrey couldn’t just let these rebels continue hiding out and harass his forces, so everything north of Stormgate and west of Saintsbridge needed to be cleared out.
The army presumably stopped its advance at Saintsbridge, being the most defendable position for keeping the hill peaceful. Any push further east would encourage them to then move into Caelid. After all, the map of eastern Limgrave’s description confirms that the military took the road there to reach the Sellian heartland. However, the sword monument at entrance to the region confirms that it was the site of Godfrey’s last battles, meaning that this cannot have occured before the Morne Siege, which the Elden Lord was also expressly present for. Put simply, there is no incentive to push east when the commander wishes to first head south. The soldiers had an excellent chokepoint at Saintsbridge and so could afford to sit there defending while the main army cleared the rebels before Stormgate.
Map fragment of the land of Limgrave, eastern part.
The land of the eastern part that harbors a foggy forest to the south is also the land for heading down the road to reach Caelid. It is the road military men once traveled.
On that note, clearing out the perimeter around the gatefront’s natural “wall” came next. After annexing Site G, Godfrey’s encountered more resistance left and right. To the west there is the graveyard and adjacent Stormfoot Catacombs, unique for the Banished Knight armor entombed with the bones. Further out onto the seashore, a scarab rolls up the Stamp (Sweep) ash of war. Across the water, the Church of Dragon Communion, along with its draconic pastor, has also been reduced to ruin. To the east there are a string of graves stacking against Stormhill, with another along a smaller precipice just south of it. The fulgurblooms growing in the center of this burial ground indicate that knights of the Ancient Dragon Cult count among the dead. And past all that is another large concentration of graves leading into Murkwater Catacombs. Altogether, these resting places serve as legacy to Godfrey’s subsequent sweep over the region, though the last example may be from a slightly later conflict.
A little ahead of Site G, we can descend a slope to Agheel Lake and Site B. Along the way, we inevitably come up to a small tomb to someone. Perhaps a brave fool dared to challenge the Erdtree army solo as they crossed the field from the highway — earning Godfrey’s respect and a special burial on the spot. Whatever the truth, we can only spy an exceptionally small cemetery behind the mining town itself, so there may not have even been any conflict there. Alternatively, the soldiers who did fight and die in this hypothetical battle for Site B were the ones buried at Murkwater Catacombs; we do need to head up the murky river valley to reach that area on foot without scaling the cliffside graves, and involvement of resident sorcerers who warped in from Caelid might explain the statues of Burial Watchdogs with sorcery staff inside.
Whatever the specifics, the entire northern reach of Western Limgrave was ultimately conquered. Now Godfrey could turn his attention south proper. From Site G, the Elden Lord’s army marched down to the Weeping Peninsula, paving a new highway in their wake. As we follow the Erdtree cross tiling, we pass collections of graves by the roadsides at regular intervals. The rebels seem to have blocked their path almost constantly, slowing the march. Even still, each roadblock ended with victory after victory. They simply pushed through with grit, as evidenced by the scarab on the highway just before the first bridge rolling up the Determination ash of war. The army likely set up a defensive position as they passed the slope down to the Mistwood region. Like with Saintsbridge, there was no reason to push east when they had an excellent chokepoint and no intention to conquer Caelid. At the same time, they couldn’t ignore the only obvious point of weakness in their supply lines. Godfrey therefore probably set up an encampment then continued on toward the Weeping Peninsula.
The skirmishes refused to relent as the army kept tracing the highway. It was around this time at earliest that the kingdom established a waypoint town. Supply lines would be stretched thin from this point on, so a rest stop would definitely have been welcome. A coffin cemetery behind the Waypoint Ruins also opens up the possibility of a battle for the land. Either way, their march continued to the Bridge of Sacrifice. The heaviest fighting appears to have begun upon the approach. Cliffside graves litter the preceding valley, whose narrow gap only heightens the difficulty in breaking through to the peninsula. But eventually, the Erdtree forces pushed out of the valley, captured the bridge, and made it across.
From there, Godfrey continued along the path to Castle Morne until hitting the great wall. The wall is where the kingdom stopped constructing the highway, and the Crimson Amber Medallion sold by the local nomad is a liable relic of the resulting clash. The fighting was definitely another major hotspot in the campaign. Cliffside graveyards on either side of the gorge precede the wall, implying that the enemy was at both their flanks — picking them off with piercing arrows if the Mighty Shot ash of war a scarab rolls up is any indication. This plus the garrison atop the ramparts must have made for a miserable trudge. However, it also seems to have pushed the Erdtree army outward to first take both valleytops.
Battles for the east end result in the graveyard leading into the Impaler’s Catacombs. Clashes in the west, meanwhile, likely produced the tombs in the valley below the Ailing Village. Note how a scarab among the headstones rolls up Lightning Strike, an Ancient Dragon Cult incantation. Factoring that the place is also the site of fulgurblooms, these graves undoubtedly bury a great many knights of Leyndell. And with the village liberated, Godfrey probably moved onto Site D. The fortification overseeing the forest was reduced to a half-broken lookout tower and the sorcerer settlement was captured, the dead buried at the cliffs behind it. From there, they either climbed said cliffs or took the rope bridge across. In either case, the Tombsward Catacombs was built beneath the Minor Erdtree in the course of soldiers fighting their way to the western shore. Godfrey subjugated the land up to the Tower of Return, which was laid to waste, a coffin cemetery left beneath the height the ruins sat upon. The last of the potential harassers quashed, it was then simply a matter of breaching the great wall.
Even with all the forces on the flanks dealt with, breaching the rampart was surely another epic endeavor, given Neidhardt’s reputation. Whether the knight was the commander of this great wall or simply a distinguished member of the garrison, his invention of Barricade Shield proves his dedication to rebuffing any assault upon this fortification. The skill is more accurately “Impregnable Shield” (鉄壁の盾) with kanji for that adjective more literally meaning “iron wall”. The rampart may be stone, but he refused to let it crumble, hence the shield skill enabling the owner to guard more and heavier assaults for longer. In the end, we can see that the wall did fall, however, and has apparently remained unrepaired ever since — perhaps a show of respect by Godfrey, honoring the knight who kept it standing better than anyone thereafter ever could. Regardless, the was path was now open, straight to Castle Morne.
Battle art known with the name of the knight Neidhardt. Concentrates power into the shield, temporarily increasing solidity and allowing it to deflect larger attacks.
One-Man Army
The battle to capture Morne is evident from the graveyard established on the beach behind it. Because of the great roots’ less than ideal location, the plot was once enclosed by a fortified perimeter, though erosion by the waves seems to have caused the walls to come crashing down. Despite these complications, the graves are still preserved, so we can confirm that one among them is a flat-top headstone. Without a doubt, at least one pagan died at the castle, and there are all but guaranteed to be many more. Royal or rebel, many a knight must have fallen in the struggle for control over the mount. Godfrey’s side eventually won out, the Weeping Peninsula was finally conquered, and the dead were subsequently buried out back. But soon, this backyard cemetery would have one additional grave.
The sole survivor of the Sun Capital initiated the Morne Siege, wielding a sword grafted with the blades of his clan. This was all for revenge, carrying with him the anger and sorrow of his countless comrades as he continued their battle. We see this demonstrated in the Grafted Blade Greatsword’s skill, making an oath of vengeance upon the many edges and receiving a boost to poise along with all stats. He fought alone at Castle Morne but shouldered the final will of his people. As to who that will for revenge was directed at, we can infer that it was Godfrey. After all, it was Hoarah Loux who destroyed their civilization and built a kingdom on the ashes — it would be stranger if the clan wasn’t resentful. Living or dead, wrath and grief was sure to accumulate so long as the old barbarian drew breath. As to why retribution was only coming for him now, so long after the fact, we need to consider the revenger’s circ*mstances.
Legendary weapon possessed by Morne Castle. Greatsword of revenge shouldering countless griefs and wraths. One of the “legendary weapons”.
Once, the hero of a destroyed country who alone survived collected all the swords of his clan’s warriors and continued battling.
At the time, the person in question was most likely just another soldier defending his home from an invading tribe. Never would they expect that the Auriza, with the backing of an Empyrean and the Two Fingers, could decimate them so. Perhaps the future reckless “hero” was a deserter who left his people to die in a momentary lapse of resolve. Perhaps he was knocked out in the chaos and overlooked as another corpse in the pile, regaining consciousness only after the fighting was already over. Whatever the specifics, he alone survived the massacre of his people in Hoarah Loux’s war, and his fathomable grief turned to rage. He intended to have justice by the sword. But how? One tribesman wasn’t going to accomplish what the entire tribe could not, and possible allies on the plateau were steadily dwindling one by one. The golden army was soon everywhere. If he wanted help slaying their warrior king, the revenger had to seek out not from the living but the dead.
Iron charm that represents a mass of arms. Raises equipment weight limit.
A talisman derived from the atypical greatsword known as the choice weapon of a vengeful hero.
Perhaps inspired by the Erdtree of his day, the sole survivor decided to meld his sword with the blades of the fallen. Such grafting was a massive undertaking considering that he managed to collect “all” of them, but it was well worth the effort seeing the latent grudges empowering their metal. The finished product demanded inordinate strength from the wielder, but that was something a motivated revenger could train over time. Indeed, recall that the Arsenal Charm was inspired by the Grafted Blade Greatsword, the iron shaped to resemble a mass of armaments. Fittingly, the talisman allows the holder to carry heavier weights unencumbered, but it implies that people witnessed the blade as carried by its owner. And considering that we acquire the charm from a corpse in Altus Tunnel, this must have been around east Altus where the revenger would be collecting the blades to graft.
It is possible that the woodfolk occasionally witnessed him in their area, hiding out like a hermit under the cover of mist and foliage. Wherever he absconded, one can only imagine the time he spent stewing in his fury with nothing but his clan’s swords to keep him company. The lone avenger spent every day grafting each blade then building up his body, dreaming of the day “they” would slew Godfrey together. He just had to lay low, biding his time until the hour of vengeance was upon him. Then, so many years later, the revenger saw his opportunity when the Elden Lord left for the lowlands for the first time, shadowing his army as it marched down to the frontier. This continued with the Warlord leading soldiers further south until finally cornering him at Castle Morne.
We can be certain that the vengeful swordsman was the attacker in this scenario because of his loner status. If he was supporting the rebels at the castle, then he wasn’t alone in this fight. And if he is the one getting sieged, then he is a passive agent in his own revenge, thus no revenger. This preempts the possibility of him capturing the castle from Godfrey’s enemy first either. Go to all that effort on the mere assumption that your target will eventually come to you? There is also the Hand Ballista to factor. Stored atop the Forest Lookout Tower, this portable siege engine is, by its description’s own admission, perfect for something so reckless as challenging a castle or army. While the weapons’s existence there is justified on the larger ballista set up adjacent to it, acquiring it on the same peninsula as the Morne Siege hints it to be a knowing nod from the developers — in other words, the description is alluding to the revenger committing that very sort of recklessness. Put simply, the lone warrior must have besieged the castle shortly after Godfrey had captured it from the fringefolk.
Nonstandard range weapon based on a siege engine. Uses dedicated great bolts.
Challenging a castle, or maybe an army, alone; it is perfect for such recklessness.
The reason for enacting his revenge now, at the southernmost tip of the Lands Between, is obvious. At last, Hoarah Loux was as far from the safety of his royal capital as possible, him and his army exhausted capturing a castle. The revenger need only stand at the narrow entrance to trap them inside. Unless Morne’s new owners scrounged up enough wood to scrap together a boat, they were cut off from contacting reinforcements. How long could they hold out with their remaining supplies? Surely the rebels depleted existing stores holding out through the last siege. Were they even able to replenish rations at all? Doubtful the golden army foraged much in the short interim. When was their next convoy scheduled to arrive down the highway? Nowhere near soon enough the blockader was betting. It was a dicey predicament that forced a confrontation, the mysterious besieger probably demanding Hoarah Loux specifically face him.
If so, then Godfrey soon acquiesced. His forces alone apparently couldn’t break past the revenger. He fought with the strength of his entire clan, a true one-man army. Any attempt to ignore this brave warrior’s demands were likely rebuffed with the full force of his resentment. With the lives of his soldiers being dragged into the vendetta, it was incumbent upon the Elden Lord to end this blood feud personally. Godfrey confronted his shadow, and the sword monument tells us the result: the revenger’s defeat. Despite this, the “hero” appears to have been recognized for his valor. The Warlord respected the fellow warrior enough to give him a burial customary to his homeland. Left with him was the Grafted Blade Greatsword, which we acquire from the leonine misbegotten attempting to steal it from the cemetery. The grudge of both the revenger and his tribe was put to rest. The last business of Godfrey’s old life was settled.
In the Morne Siege, a vengeful hero battles all by his lonesome and is defeated by King Godfrey.
Before the king could return to Limgrave, however, there were still a few loose ends to tie up. Although not to the same extent as Stormveil, Godfrey does seem to have left his mark on Morne before departing, the castle bailey and back yard planted with the same trees seen at its counterpart on Stormhill. Perhaps the Elden Lord was concerned about this relatively large fortification’s isolation from the rest. Entrusting a garrison of appropriate size — mostly pagan or otherwise — with staffing such a place might make any absent ruler nervous; he didn’t want to come all the way back to quell another rebellion south. So, before leaving Morne to its own devices, Godfrey made sure to install a little propaganda as a reminder not to think treason just because they were, literally, on their own little island. Hanging around to import some plants also gave his wife time to finish her own business.
At the Ailing Village lies the Callu Baptismal Church, Marika’s icon betraying her presence there. Conquering the Weeping Peninsula was arguably another major milestone in Godfrey’s campaign. And so, like with the capture of Stormveil, seizing Castle Morne was probably met with a visit from the Eternal Queen. And as with the graveyard behind Stormveil, why not help with the cleanup while there? Baptism is a religious initiation typically utilizing holy water. However, the kanji (洗礼) literally just refers to a “washing ceremony”, and what consecrated fluid would a Marika church be cleansing new converts with? Drops of grace. The sorcerers of Site D below wouldn’t be interested in converting to a different faith, but the villagers living up top might. Perhaps they were particularly receptive to liberation from the rebels, or perhaps they were influenced by the Minor Erdtree growing nearby. Whatever the reason, they were ready to embrace the Golden Order, and Marika was the best person to welcome them. In short, the church was built for god to baptize the village.
After that, the royal couples’ brief stint at Castle Morne had likely finished. The hold was secure, the locals were converted or pacified, and the dead were buried. It was time the king and queen led the army back to Stormveil for some much-needed rest and recovery. Godfrey’s stalker might have ended up as merely a footnote in this peninsular saga, but the random wrinkle looks to have inspired a lasting legacy. Even to this day, Nepheli can find another Arsenal Charm in Stormveil, where its latest owner similarly grafts in hopes for the strength to match Godfrey. Even if a villain in this story, the revenger’s legend keeps his memory alive stirring the imagination of his people’s vanquishers. That might not bring the sole survivor solace, but at least when the Warlord left, it was with the promise that the castle would safeguard a hero’s grave along with his weighty sword as its greatest treasure.
Eastern March
Eventually came Godfrey’s eastern campaign. Initially, the Erdtree forces had two objectives: Mistwood to the south and Summonwater Village to the north. The more important target was the north. Since the village lies practically at the mouth of Caelid, it was the best staging ground to cut off enemy reinforcements from supporting the south. Therefore, it was incumbent upon the Erdtree forces to take this village, lest any deployment to Mistwood find itself boxed in. But the push beyond Saintsbridge was as grueling as expected. A graveyard stretches along the road between the bridge and the village, the knights among the skeletons affirming rebel opposition. Clearly, just getting across the bridge was a harrowing experience. And coming upon the village, resistance was fiercer still. Besides the boneyard in the hamlet itself, more graves litter the cliffs beneath it, flanked by coffin cemeteries. The gravekeeper preaching to another skeleton in front of all these tombs reinforces the link between the two. There was a massive amount of death from heated and perhaps repeated clashes at this location.
This fighting up north proved the perfect distraction for Godfrey to move on Mistwood. Not to say that the southern front went without complication either. Traveling down the dirt road off the highway, we can infer skirmishes broke out around this slope from the graves along the northern ridge. After overcoming that initial hurdle, the Erdtree army decided its approach of attack on the forest proper. Barely into the woods, we can come across another cliffside graveyard, more or less across from the first relative to the road. This might indicate that the Erdtree army tried to cut through the forest to surprise the enemy rather than take the expected route along the dirt path — only to be met with prescient rebels lying in wait. Both sides were liable to use the cover of fog to their advantage, and barring the trees, this is the shortest and safest way to reach the Mistwood Ruins, following along the rock face. Regardless, Godfrey’s army won the day and continued onto Eochaid.
The graveyard behind Mistwood Ruins buries not just spellcasters but also knights, so the rebels didn’t surrender the settlement without a fight. In fact, those spellcasters might even suggest that some of the ascetics fought alongside the dragon worshipers in this battle, whether pressed into service or legitimately sympathetic to their cause. In the end, they failed to hold the village, and Godfrey gave the survivors a chance to pay back their original occupiers. Despite not needing to for the longest time, Elemer proves that the ascetics did forge their own armor and shields at some point. His Briar Greatshield specifically depicts a knight in reddish armor battling skeletal zombies, one partially armored. In other words, Eochaid imagined taking up the sword to combat “evil” armies. Most likely, they were recruited to help battle the rebels.
Indeed, the dragon worshipers ultimately lost control of the region. Across from Fort Haight sits a coffin cemetery in front of another cliffside graveyard, meaning one last clash for the stronghold. And when the fighting was over, the captured fort was given to House Haight as the new lords of the small Mistwood territory. The family has nepotism to thank. Kenneth possesses an Erdsteel Dagger, indicating that the Haights bear some connection to royalty. The lord is unlikely to be a royal himself, however. For all his criticism of Godrick as Godfrey’s distant descendant, Kenneth never acts as if he is a more worthy relation. If he is not even a demigod, then either his family are incredibly distant relations or were close vassals in the Warlord’s army. Both scenarios explain how House Haight came to own both a royal dagger and the hilltop fort.
Perhaps Godfrey made a habit of rewarding his soldiers with stewardship over these holdings, should they earn his favor. That would explain the various names to each fort on the frontier, presumably changed to match their new owners like Fort Haight — which implies that the practice began back with Castle Morne. Even so, the status afforded to the Haights appears to be somewhat unique. The house was entrusted the left half of the Dectus Medallion, opening up the possibility of returning to the royal capital if ever necessary. A minor lord of the boonies was always welcome to the motherland, but these medallions weren’t provided to just anyone; the only known left-half medallion is in the custody of Fort Haight. House Haight thus seems to share a special history with the Erdtree royal family to have earned this privilege. Maybe it was due to future plans with the medallion, or maybe it was because the Haights would be responsible for safeguarding their god.
The Third Church of Marika is built midway along the dirt road to Fort Haight, just outside Mistwood. Melina affirms the god’s presence in the area at the conclusion of Godfrey’s campaign, and she may have been operating from there since Mistwood was first captured. After all, the church building rivals the Minor Erdtree Church in scale. An appropriate comparison, too, since it appears to have also been used as a research facility. Like the laboratory on Altus, this church is preceded by golden flowers on either side of the road, with countless more spilling out from the actual building. And while the north transept erects the typical statue of Marika, complete with a chalice of golden drops for parishioners, this may well have been added later with her seminal speech. More important is how the apse maintains a crystal tear basin, where we acquire a crimson drop along with a Flask of Wondrous Physick.
According to the description, certain priests used this bottle to create “wonder drugs”, more literally “spirit medicines”, (霊薬) by mixing crystal tears. Unlike the golden grace in our standard flasks, the crystallized blessings stirred in this container shakes the imbiber to the core, causing body or mind to exhibit extraordinary effects matching the nature of the drop. The flask itself thereby allows the owner to experiment with a wide variety of combinations, which must have been the intention of the priests-turned-apothecaries. In context of this specific location, these developing masters of medicine were born as part of priestly studies into Eochaid’s Minor Erdtree conducted at this church. Perhaps Marika was fascinated by how the ascetics employed reddish gold and became curious how environment affected the Erdtrees — what if her initial research, confined to the mother tree’s locale, limited her understanding? A comparison with the frontier might then broaden her perspective. If nothing else, it was a new avenue of the arcane to explore. The result was extending her research out to Mistwood.
Relic of the wonder apothecaries, who are priests of the Golden Tree. Thing that draws out the power of the crystal drops that arise at the end of a long period.
It is said that there is a water basin accumulating crystal drops at the foot of the minor Golden Trees in various Lands Between.
In short, Marika was staying in House Haight’s territory for the foreseeable future. Receiving a dagger meant for the royalty’s self-defense thereby signifies that same royalty entrusting their defense to the recipient. While her husband was out on the battlefield, the Eternal Queen would be passing the time cooped up in her new lab. It may have been friendly territory, but it was by no means the safety of a castle. Anything could happen in these newly subjugated holdings, so her continued security in her protector-in-chief’s absence was no less important. And that task naturally fell to the first Lord Haight. It is no wonder that Kenneth holds himself in such high esteem as Erdtree nobility. His family passed down a legacy of protecting the Golden Order’s interests in Limgrave, including preserving Godfrey’s image as a strong and rightful ruler. So long as Fort Haight maintained stability in the region standing guard for the queen, the Warlord could press forward with peace of mind.
The Final Frontier
At last, the military marched into Caelid. As Godfrey followed the highway to Sellia, he surely captured settlements they passed by. There may have been some resistance; the Forsaken Ruins keeps a coffin cemetery on a cliff just west of it, and Caelem has the same at the cliffs a little east of its location. However, the biggest hurdle came from Fort Faroth. A scarab rolls up the Sky Shot ash of war at the edge of the valley dividing Dragonbarrow from rest of Caelid, implicating archers from Faroth’s side in raining arrows on troops from Caelem’s side. If the fort did harass the Warlord’s army as they tried to cross the ravine, the dead may have been taken to the Minor Erdtree Catacombs near the border. In the same vein as the Rose Church, the Smoldering Church was established to consecrate the bodies being transported for burial midway. The faithful who bravely died in at least establishing a foothold would, again, receive appropriate honors beneath a golden tree of some capacity. But no matter their losses, Godfrey’s force eventually pushed through to conquer that northern ridge overlooking Sellia.
In all likelihood, there was fighting to capture Fort Faroth. While no traditional graveyard in the stretch between it and the valley, Faroth does seem to offer its fallen to another Minor Erdtree practically next to it, jars left at the precipice just outside the fort like so many others below. But even after the stronghold surrendered, there seems to have been a lingering resistance to contend with. North of Faroth, beyond the Minor Erdtree, we come across a patch of fulgurblooms followed by a coffin cemetery at cliff’s edge. Not too far off, a cliffside graveyard hangs by the Farum Greatbridge. Perhaps some of the enemy retreated toward the remains of the beast capital in desperate hope of salvation from the dragons they so revered — in the end, the only lightning they met, backed into a corner, was from the cult of Leyndell. Whatever the specifics, Godfrey’s forces tamed the north.
In the post-battle cleanup, the fort received the other half of the Dectus Medallion, showing this presumed Lord Faroth the same trust as Lord Haight. In fact, splitting the medals might have been shrew political maneuvering. By only giving each party one half of the full medallion, the minor lords of east and west would need to cooperate if they had any hope of returning home to the capital. That explains why the medals are described as “tallies” (割符) in reference to the historical system of splitting proofs of transactions between the two parties to avoid fraud. Only if the two territories closest to the Limgrave-Caelid border were diplomatically united could the frontier lords be accepted by aristocracy in the Erdtree heartland. This discourages regional infighting. The last thing Marika’s empire needed was for its new provincial governors to enmesh themselves in petty squabbles over local disputes, tearing the newly conquered lands asunder again. This way, both parties had incentive to fully integrate their disparate lands into the larger whole governed, ultimately, by Leyndell.
Left half of tally medal depicted with the Golden Tree.
Can put the two tallies together and raise to activate the Great Lift of Dectus connecting Liennie with Alta Plateau.
It is said that right half is kept in Pharros Fort of the Dragon Mound, land of the far east.
Moving onto the war, the sword monument for the Caelid campaign acknowledges that Godfrey’s armies kept winning without stopping, but they were at least slowed in their push further south. Another colosseum was built on Caelid’s northern coast. The first Elden Lord’s rule ends with his departure after conquering Caelid, leaving little time for this arena to see use before his successor closes them all down. Consequently, it must have been built and enjoyed during the course of the campaign, once Godfrey had secured the northern holdings. The fact that the Warlord constructed yet another dueling ring in these circ*mstances proves that he expected to be bogged down in Caelid for a good while; he couldn’t simply return to Limgrave and watch the fights there with the frontline being so volatile. That simple motivation is showcased in how little propagandistic imagery we see in the actual arena outside the Marika statue backdropped by the Erdtree. Bearing that in mind, the Erdtree army didn’t simply sweep across the region, even if they were mounting victory after victory. They faced significant pushback.
One important milestone in their slow if inevitable advance was the capture of Fort Gael. Like Fort Faroth, there are no obvious graveyards around Gael, though this can be attributed to the existence of Gael Tunnel. The magma wyrm there is proof that a sorcerer who aligned with the dragon worshipers has been doing hard labor under the Erdtree kingdom’s rule. Whenever the tunnel was first established, it employs those who sided with the rebels as its workers. The area was thereby being used as a military labor camp for prisoners of war. And is it any accident that the mine is named for the fort across the rocky fields from it? Most likely, the prisoners come from Fort Gael. Cornered atop its slope, the small fortress might have surrendered after a lengthy siege; its garrison was thus safe, but their future was not. Whether due to negotiation or necessity, the enemy wasn’t put to the sword and instead put to work, toiling in the mines ever since.
Whatever the fate of Gael’s original owners, the only recognizable dead in this clash come from Eochaid, buried at the other end of a cave network under the fort. If some of the warrior ascetics were slain during the siege, then it is understandable if fellows who survived them tried finding a place for them with better sight of Mistwood. As to why not transfer their bodies and treasured greatsword all the way back home, perhaps because there was none. Eochaid ceased to exist. It was now just another province of other peoples’ country. The fallen might have preferred a view of Mistwood from afar, allowing them to remember the idyllic image of their home without having to see it still occupied; they did the good fight against their original occupiers. The sentiment notwithstanding, these secluded tombstones could feasibly be erected in the course of exploring caverns after the fort was captured.
With the addition of Gael Tunnel especially, Godfrey gained a much-needed shorter supply line to continue the army’s momentum. Marching to lower ground from Caelem, the golden army likely took a small detour off the highway to the fields of Aeonia, going by the cliffside graveyard behind the Street of Sages Ruins. (Site S) After that, it appears the soldiers pushed further south along the highway where they would establish the Caelid waypoint town, which maintains a crypt. Indeed, rather than divert his forces across the fields east to Sellia, the Elden Lord seems to have continued following the main road. There are no signs of battle at this time past Site S, despite the sorcery town lacking walls along its entire length. Why not cut through the open fields of Aeonia as Malenia would do years later?
It is possible that trudging through the unpaved terrain was simply too risky. After all, if the Erdtree army tried cutting straight to Sellia, the enemy might use the highway against them. There were sure to be garrisons at both Sellia and Redmane Castle, and the lookout tower ensured that the rebels would know their movements well in advance — especially when the grassland left nothing to hide. Sellia would intercept even without hard defenses, and Redmane would undoubtedly already be mobilizing up the main road. If Godfrey tried crossing the Wilds without first dealing with the castle, he might see himself caught in a pincer, cut off from their supply lines. Taking that into account, it was simply safer to keep to higher ground on the main road than descending into that death pit.
As a result, the army’s next target would be the Cathedral of Dragon Communion. With a coffin cemetery to the southeast and a cliffside graveyard on the opposite side, it is no mystery why the resident ancient dragon is dead and the church is in ruins. There was no better symbolic victory in this campaign. With Farum Azula gone, that place was the last thing the dragon worshipers could consider a religious center. It obviously still holds meaning to those who remember draconic supremacy. Besides the two Banished Knights staying at the ruins — one staring off almost wistfully at their old holdings — Ekzykes continues to guard the path to the cathedral, the only one of Greyoll’s dragons to stay behind in these ruins despite the encroachment of Scarlet Rot. Those three clearly feel strongly enough to want whatever remains of that sacred site preserved, even if just the fond memory. Conversely, its destruction heralded the end to prehistoric Farum culture.
From there, Godfrey most likely led his forces to besiege Castle Redmane. Even at this point, taking the castle first was the wiser course of action — again, why risk being outflanked while trying to break through the Sellia Gateway? The Warlord was in a better position to just stop and cut the fortress off from the sorcery town. And so, he took the detour once more. There may have been skirmishes along the way, as the Caelid Catacombs is set up at the bottom of the bluff seating the Cathedral of Dragon Communion, not too far off the road to the castle. The blue-colored magic lighting and traps insinuates sorcerers’ involvement in the construction. Considering the liberation of towns like Site S, this isn’t a surprise. Like during the Giant War, the Erdtree army probably drafted civilian aid so that they could focus on blockading the enemy.
The aftermath of this confrontation? A sizable death toll, based on the cemetery behind the castle, random spots of yellow grass indicating the immense holy power of its occupants — perhaps a great number of holy men gave their lives for the Erdtree. Being the first castle seized since Morne, Godfrey and his soldiers may have used it as a new launch point for assaulting Sellia. The Erdtree kingdom definitely treated it about equal with its counterparts. At the back of the stronghold, its new rulers built a chapel like those seen at Castles Sol and Stormveil; the main difference is the inclusion of lion ornaments for hanging banners, presumably due to Godfrey’s presence there for a time as was the case with Stormveil. The Weeping Peninsula at least had the Callu church, but Caelid had no places of Marika worship thus far, so it is only natural that this castle receive one, unlike Morne. And whether or not the Warlord was using it as a base for the final push, his army inevitably set off for the sorcery town.
The clash at the Sellia Gateway is evident from the collection of graves at either cliffside. At this point, going around the side to the Aeonia wilds may have been viable, but it is possible that Sellia used the added time to shore up their defenses; the fringefolk knew that this would be their final stand. Regardless, Godfrey chose a frontal assault. And despite the death toll, the Erdtree army still breached the gates. From there, it was fighting through the streets — the resulting bloodbath apparent when we take the backstreet leading up the valley to the ruined lookout tower and another, more extensive boneyard. The variety of skeletons rising from there includes three knights and an executioner. Therefore, we can be certain that this cemetery interred the rebel forces defeated in this battle, the stragglers all captured and executed. The Caelid campaign was over, as was Godfrey’s southern campaign as a whole. All that was left was the cleanup.
Looming over the town from the back, between the backstreet and the Crypt Chair, stands a particularly large Erdtree Sentinel statue, a constant comfort and warning to the populace now under Leyndell’s protection. The fighters may have been dealt with, but the sorcerers still needed to be treated with suspicion. Sellia was the last bastion for Liurnians trying to escape the Erdtree kingdom’s growing influence in their homeland. There were sure to be more rebel sympathizers among the civilians, and the town was about as remote from the Erdtree heartland east as Castle Morne was south. If Morne required some propaganda reminding them that the Erdtree’s wrath was never too far away, so too did the town of sorcery. The statue thus made for an excellent capstone on the whole affair.
Naturally, we can find a church of Marika among the headstones atop the valley. This Church of the Plague insinuates that the Eternal Queen took a break from her research in Limgrave to oversee these closing burials, and why wouldn’t she? The woman would be setting foot on the last holdout against the Golden Order, the final flare of resistance against her total control of the Lands Between. How could she not be present for this momentous occasion? And she saw for herself: the Erdtree’s enemies were no more. For an ambitious and egotistical god, she must have been ecstatic. Godfrey too was probably glad to deliver this victory to his wife, perhaps with tiny regret that his heroic conquests were now firmly behind him. But he would not have the time to miss the thrill of battle. Because amongst all that clean up, it happened: the gold in their eyes faded.
