Elden Ring Lore | The Flame of Frenzy

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I am also very intrigued by the fact that the "fingers" of the Greater Will were only Two Fingers, which by themselves cannot interfere because they cannot grasp. But the "fingers" of the Frenzied Flame are Three Fingers and they can grasp and interfere. It's an idea that's been running through my head since my first encounter with the Three Fingers.

You know, if they had kept Kale's questline, I would have absolutely gone with the frenzied flame ending. Because I kept RPing going back to that crumbling church to visit my first friend in the lands between. I would have burned the world for my boy.

Kale's voice actor really did a great job with his cut dialogue.

I'm surprised you never brought up the soldiers on the mountain leading to Volcano Manor. As they too are afflicted with Frenzy, possibly from how horrible the fighting was against Rykard's forces.

Two things I would like to mention about Shabirri and Vyke. Shabirri is easily one of the best manipulators. I mean who can resist that upturn flirtatious smile. He looks trustworthy, right? Also Vyke probably couldn’t become lord because he didn’t strip off his armor which means that he could only partially contained the flame.

Frenzied Flame is definitely second favorite ending, the final scene where you turn around with your face turned into a lord of the rings looking thing just gave me chills.

I love listening to the merchants play, especially with that ambiance.

The merchant song is just to good. Can't help but be fascinated by the yellow flame bc of it

Great ideas all around. There's just one significant detail I would have liked to explore: the nomadic merchants all have a five-fingered hand on the bow of their instruments. I think this may hint at what their "heretical beliefs" are. The followers of the Golden Order revere the Two Fingers, as a sign of order. Whereas the Three Fingers are a sign of chaos. And order and chaos both allegedly came from the One Great, so they're two halves of the whole. I think the five fingered hand of the nomadic merchants hints that they may have recognized this, and rather than embracing order and shunning chaos, their beliefs were essentially dualistic. Thus, Shabriri (or whoever) accusing them of heresy is kind of like the Christian persecution of the Manichaeans. Their belief in balance was deliberately misconstrued into devil worship.

I'm starting to like the idea of the outer gods being kami because it explains how the outer gods apparently aren't bound by space. They can appear wherever they want because they are aspects of life itself, not just beings.

I really like the idea of the Three Fingers not being vessels of the Frenzied Flame, but the Outer God itself who took such form to symbolise its opposing nature towards the Greater Will's Order. It never crossed my mind, but it makes sense! With this, the only thing I still can't really explain about Fingers are Ranni Two Fingers. They differ in form, color and size from the normal fingers, and more importantly: they are alive - contrary to all other Demigods' ones. I've read the interesting idea that Ranni was not chosen as an Empyrean by the Greater Will, but by the Moon, of which her Fingers are emissary - this would also explain why Ranni was chosen despite not having any distinctive quality contrary to Malenia and Miquella, and would give context to all the meteoric shards near Manus Celes, as the Fingers could've been sent on earth by the satellite from space. It's also really interesting Ranni never mentions the Greater Will at all, despite all her plot.

The eyes are said to be the window to the soul. Like you said, we use our eyes to see and take in all the pain and suffering that we go through, but it's also possible for others to see that same pain and suffering when we look each other in the eyes. When we're sad or in pain we either look to each other for comfort, or we look away keep it to ourselves. We can see despair as well, when we look into someone's eyes and see that they don't see us, or that they see through us, or see nothing at all.

Could the flames in someone's eyes show them the truth of the world? The madness could be similar to frenzy in Bloodborne, where someone gains knowledge beyond their understanding and are harmed from it. The flames could show a person the fractured nature of the world and the horrors that come from it, driving them mad and eventually pushing them to spread it to others

(cw: talk of suicide) Personally I found the story line of the Frenzied Flame to be deeply emotionally compelling. It's reminiscent of the distortion of logic that leads to suicide, when one is suffering so much and so deeply they wish for something, anything to make it stop, even if it means death. Feeling that it is better than continuing to exist in agony in its own twisted form of hope. Its all so gut wrenchingly real that I couldn't help but sympathize and feel moved by it. I also really like how the game frames and encourages you to accept the frenzied flame. When you encounter the Frenzied Flame Proscription, you are greeted with a horrific and frankly enraging sight of the Great Caravan entombed and yet still alive, punctuated by one playing a somber melody unique to the area. Then, with Kale's cut questline, you would find him despairing at the fate of his people (props to the VA by the way, he really sells the emotion). With all of that presented, you just might on impulse open the door to the three fingers, whether out of rage at the world of grace or sympathy for the merchant's plight. Of course by then its too late. Even if you come to your senses and regret your choice, you are locked in to the path of self destruction with only one arduous way to escape it. On one final note, I also love how the game makes the player doff their armor, "divesting themselves of everything" before the doors to the three fingers will open. Its an excellent metaphor for whom the frenzied flame manifests in: those who have lost everything.

Notice the similarities between Gowry and Shabriri. They both seem more than human, can possess other bodies, and speak in favor of an outer God. I have a video in the works myself on the similarities of them and that archetype within the lands between Edit: going more along with your video and eyes (or the lack their of), check out all of the finger reading crones, who have empty sockets. And you also have the briar channeling sorcerer-prisoners, who are said to have their eyes gouged out by the briars, and like those afflicted with frenzy flame and it manifesting in the eyes of those infected, the briar prisoners see the bloodstar in a similar manor.

Being a huge King in Yellow fan, I saw the inspiration in the yellow frenzied flame. My favorite story line to follow, in the game! Great video, as always!

There is one other thing regarding the theme of eyes in Elden Ring is that, despite them being mainly associated with the Frenzied Flame, they are also related to Marika and Radagon through their Sore and Scar Seals. And there’s the fact that in the promotional material and in game, Marika’s eyes are also suspiciously never shown. This is seen across the board in her statuary, paintings, her image in the prologue cinematic and when you finally see her crucified within the Erdtree.

I wonder if outer should actually be translated as outsider. Edit: the ironic part is that in the end we still sacrificed a maiden. So was it really worth it. Shabriri is a liar through and through.

My first ending was the frenzied flame ending. Completely blind I followed Hyettas questline, and very early I got to the frenzied flame village and found the frenzied Lord note. I spent the game obsessing over it. And my initial time in Leyndell was searching everywhere for the sewers. And the more the game tried to keep me from going deeper, I just wanted it more. I gotta say. I think the reason why Elden ring is one of my favorite games is because that happened. It really set in on my second playthrough how special that experience was, encountering the three fingers and the sting of Melina saying that she was going to kill me now. Shit was fucking awesome lmao