Bonfireside Chat 241: Roundtable Roundtable Ranni, ft. LobosJr
Added 2022-12-25 19:39:09 +0000 UTCThis week we talk with streamer and Souls challenge runner extraordinaire, our good friend Lobos Jr. We talk about how Elden Ring is sitting with him nearly a year end, and how it compares to running previous games in the series. Then we read your responses to the Ranni/underground portion of the game.
Comments
I know I'm a week late on a reply here, but with regards to the black knife assassins coming after Ranni's squad, I think the reason why everyone had assassins coming after them was because we stole the finger slayer blade. It was being held in an eternal city, guarded by numerous hostile forces that we had to cut our way through to reach. It wasn't given to us willingly. We ransacked a city and stole their treasure. I imagine those left in the city would be none too happy about that. It doesn't seem like much of a leap that the remaining assassins who aren't stuck somewhere would then mobilize to try and retrieve it. I also don't think it's much of a leap for them to treat Ranni as the prime suspect, and to go after her underlings to pressure her into giving it back or to just find out where she took it. This may also explain Iji's acknowledgement that his role was finished. Given Iji's role in the group and the fact that he tried to seal away Blaidd before the madness took him, again, I don't think it's a stretch to assume that he knew more about Ranni's plan than maybe he let on. If he knew the importance of stealing the blade in Ranni's plan and recognized that meant it was in the endgame, he may have understood what fate could soon befall him as the remaining black knife assassins try to reclaim what was stolen from them. Idk why I didn't say this sooner and I everyone's got their own takes on this incredibly murky story arc, but I felt like sharing my thoughts. Thanks for the shows and all your hard work as always!
Isa B.
2023-01-03 22:13:58 +0000 UTCI’m not saying that’s how it always was for them, but in the timescale between the Night of Black Knives and the present, it’s been a long time and much could have changed in that timespan. I also don’t really know of any meaningful reason for the Assassins to be in the various spots that they are, outside of a few they’re isolated to hidden or random locations throughout the game, resting. While they were united on the night of the plot, in purpose if not location of other Demigods were killed, nothing particular of note has happened for them until they go after Ranni’s conspirators. There is, of course, the possibility that they are still united under Ranni after all this time, and that’s who ordered the deaths of her companions. I can see reason for killing Blaidd, given he’s an unwilling tool of the Greater Will, but Iji confuses me. The best candidate of who they serve beyond Ranni is the Eternal Cities, from who we steal the Fingerslayer blade on Ranni’s behalf. Despite being seemingly aligned when it comes to ultimate goals, the Nox weren’t too keen on parting with their most prized treasure, and perhaps wanted to have one of their own become the Lord of Night over Ranni. The Assassins share a number of connections with the Eternal Cities, which makes me feel like it’s plausible they were agents of the Nox. They notably only come for Ranni’s servants after she stole the blade from them, with many going directly to her personal tower, perhaps with the intent being to kill her. Blaidd does rush back to Ranni after being freed, meaning he would have been headed to the same place, perhaps finding the Assassins waiting for Ranni’s return. The whole Night is shrouded in mystery, as a covert plot to assassinate Demigods should be. We don’t have all of the details, ultimately we can all decide for ourselves which theory or idea we feel holds the most water. Perhaps they served the Eternal Cities, perhaps they split and formed their own groups like the one in Ordina, we don’t really know for sure, and personally I’m fine with that.
Lucas West
2022-12-29 22:33:43 +0000 UTCThe Black Knives being a loosely connected group of free agents is pretty rough from a story perspective if that’s really the case though, given that that leaves them as essentially spackle for incomplete plot threads. Doesn’t feel narratively satisfying to me.
Ryan Bennett
2022-12-29 19:20:56 +0000 UTCI really have doubts that Marika was involved in the plot whatsoever, let alone that she could somehow relay orders to the Assassins if they served her at all. The one line of text in the game I’m aware of associating Marika with anything to do with the plot is from the Black Knife Armor: “The assassins that carried out the deeds of the Night of the Black Knives were all women, and rumored to be Numen who had close ties with Marika herself.” “Rumored” seems like a lot to go on to determine that the Assassins relation. SmoughTown put out a video explaining the original Japanese seems to make it seem like ties of kinship, not necessarily that they were loyal servants of her. To have close ties of kinship means that not a single Assassin may have ever even met Marika, since it has more to do with being Numen. The only other thing referenced is Marika betraying Maliketh, but if you kill Gurranq he essentially asks “Marika… why… wouldst thou… gull me? Why… shatter?” Gull means to fool or deceive, implying this is the betrayal Maliketh’s remembrance is mentioning. Overall, it’s not likely it was Marika who sent the Assassins. Ranni did imprison Alecto, and it’s really not certain if all the Assassins are united at all, some are protecting the Haligtree, some hide in catacombs, caves, and one still in the capital itself. Those assassins may have just been a group who perhaps blamed Ranni for their circumstances, having been hunted and hated for thousands of years.
Lucas West
2022-12-29 02:11:55 +0000 UTCExcellent episode! Somehow missed checking out LobosJr previously, I’m loving his clearing Lordran run. I appreciate you reading my comment, again I’m not really sure of what to make of Fia’s ending, though it does seem to be the best answer that Those Who Live in Death would be incorporated into the Golden Order, perhaps with rebirth. One thing I didn’t really dive into for the sake of brevity with that the spread of Deathroot corruption throughout the Lands Between is a major existential crisis. The only attempt we see to stymie the spread, with Maliketh consuming the Deathroot, shows that it’s ultimately an exercise in futility. Seeing how thoroughly the deepest roots of the Erdtree have been corrupted over time, I feel it’s not out of the question that the spread will continue, in which case I could see that true rebirth may become an extreme rarity compared to becoming a skeleton. Enabling rebirth of some kind into the Order might very well be the only real way to counter this. Sure, everyone might become a skeleton, but if this is just an accepted part of life, and the Order gives guidance to rebirth to the aimless undead, then the threat is more or less negated. One could die, awaken as a skeleton, and, with guidance, shamble their bones over to the nearest catacomb to be reabsorbed into the Erdtree. Fia’s quest might be the only of the Elden Lord endings to actually solve the skeleton problem, since the others do nothing to account for Those Who Live in Death. I feel a bit like Charlie from It’s Always Sunny going on about Pepe Silvia, so I’ll put a lid in it for now. Can’t wait till next episode! It’s always a treat
Lucas West
2022-12-28 02:34:12 +0000 UTCIf you're looking for a high quality PvP Elden Ring commentator I would recommend ChaseTheBro. He showcases one weapon on Youtube daily, using them both in the arena and in invasions. He's always very respectful to those he's fighting. He greets them, bows when he wins and always keeps his comments about other players lighthearted and positive. Whenever I'm considering a new weapon I will try and find if he's made a video about it. If he has I always learn something from it.
Daniel Hancock
2022-12-28 00:12:38 +0000 UTC"I took your for dead. No matter, it's all the same. Lay out your arms then." Quick correction, that is what Hewg says when you address him after coming back to the Hold.
Daniel Runfola
2022-12-27 20:48:48 +0000 UTCGreat ep! If you’re looking for good pvp guests you could do worse than Saint Riot, who streams on Twitch and is on YouTube too. He’s close to my heart because he approaches the From games holistically, and rare among pvp streamers he loves the pve and lore as much as the actual pvp. Would be interesting to see his perspective on the show if he and you are both up for it.
Edward Howard
2022-12-27 05:05:31 +0000 UTCSame means, different end state goals?
Duckfeed.tv
2022-12-26 21:42:41 +0000 UTCI think, even if you don't buy the idea that Ranni is behind the assassination of her crew (which is what I believe), I don't think Marika getting the blame makes sense. Marika smashed the Elden Ring in an attempt to get out from underneath the Greater Will, isn't this pretty much Ranni's goal also? Why would Marika try and kill the one faction that seems to be working towards the same goal? I think it would be more likely Morgott or even Radagon would have the most to gain by killing Ranni and her crew, and it would also have the themes of the parents killing the children to sustain the old order.
Shaun Higgins
2022-12-26 14:29:24 +0000 UTCMinor thing, the black flame is distinct from the weapons used by the black Knives. The black flame (a black and white flame) from the apostles has a different effect from the black energy used by the assassins and Malekith (a black and red effect). I’m unsure what this means regarding Iji’s death
Artalam
2022-12-26 10:57:30 +0000 UTCI watched the elden ring randomizer during duck stream!! and sincerely hope it gets a dedicated episode Also props to Kole on being literally the only person to say my screen name correctly on their first attempt in my ~17 years of using it
Fromaginator
2022-12-25 22:07:51 +0000 UTC
