The Shadowlands Keeps Me Up At Night

Summary

This video script delves into the lore of the realm of Shadow, exploring its connection to death and the afterlife across various mythologies. It discusses Queen Mora's division of the realm and the role of NPCs like Micha and Melenia. The script uncovers the significance of the realm in the narrative, the symbolism of the Boaz and Jachin pillars, and the potential for divine communication and intervention. It also hints at the city of Bellot's construction of a 'Divine Tower of Babel,' aiming to reach the Divine gate.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Realm of Shadow was once a part of the Lands Between but was separated by Queen Mara, leading to a division of realms.
• 🕰 The separation of the realms is tied to the sealing away of the Rune of Destined Death, or the Forbidden Shadow, by NPC Enia.
• 👑 Queen Mora's actions in ushering in the Age of Gold and manipulating the Elden Ring, the source code of reality, are central to the lore.
• 🧶 The lore of Queen Mora and Ragon as 'seamsters' is significant, with items like the Mimic Veil and the Golden SE needle playing into their abilities.
• 🛶 The realm of Shadow has become a dumping ground for death and other suppressed elements, with references to the Hin and the Lampwood guiding the dead.
• 🗡 The Great Sword's design is based on the black steeple of the Hin, which is connected to the afterlife and the Shaded Keep's spires.
• 🕷️ Red spider lilies, which guide spirits in Chinese and Japanese mythology, are used in the realm of Shadow to represent the transition of souls.
• ⚔️ The necessity of Redon's and Mika's deaths is tied to their vows and the need to move their souls into the realm of Shadow for rebirth.
• 🌀 The visual representation of the Boaz and Jacen pillars throughout Bellot symbolizes balance and divine miracles, including the revival of Redon.
• 🔮 The spiral motifs and celestial imagery in the game may represent communication with outer gods and divine intervention.
• 🏗️ The city of Bellot is speculated to be building a Divine Tower of Babel, possibly to reach the Divine Gate mentioned in the lore.

Q & A

Why did Miché and Melina march on Redon, despite Redon's vow with Mika?

The script does not provide a direct answer to this question, but it suggests that understanding the rules of the realm of Shadow is crucial to grasp the intentions of the demigods and NPCs, which may explain their actions.

What is the significance of the realm of Shadow in the story?

The realm of Shadow is a significant part of the lore as it was once a singular realm with the Lands Between but was separated by Queen Mara during her age of gold. It is now a plane that has been repurposed into an afterlife, referencing various instances of the afterlife in real-world mythology.

Why did Queen Mora seal away the realm of Shadow?

The script mentions that Queen Mora ushered in her age of gold and sealed away the realm of Shadow, but the specific reasons for this action are not detailed in the provided transcript and will be discussed in another video.

What is the connection between the realm of Shadow and the concept of death?

The realm of Shadow has become a dumping ground for death and other things that Queen Mara wishes to suppress. It has been repurposed into an afterlife, which is a central theme in the script's discussion of the realm.

What is the significance of the item 'Hin's Steeple' in the lore?

Hin's Steeple is patterned after the black steeple of the hin, which guides the dead of the spirit world. It is connected to the theme of death and the afterlife within the game's lore.

How does the process of death in the realm of Shadow differ from the original process?

In the realm of Shadow, the process of death has been altered, with the Tibia Mariners using gravekeeper boats to burn dead bodies to ash, replacing the original process dictated by the death right birds.

What is the significance of the 'mimic Veil' and 'concealing Veil' in the lore?

The mimic Veil and concealing Veil are items associated with Queen Mara and the concealment of the shadowlands. They represent the theme of illusion and concealment, which is prevalent in the lore surrounding the realm of Shadow.

Why does the script mention the Divine Gate in relation to Redon?

The Divine Gate is mentioned as a location in the realm of Shadow where Redon's soul needed to be moved to fulfill his vow to Miché. This suggests a divine miracle is associated with Redon's revival.

What is the connection between the spiral motif and the Divine Gate of Miracles?

The spiral motif, as seen in the pillars around Bellot and the staff of Character Meter, is believed to represent a means of divine communication and intervention, possibly related to the Divine Gate of Miracles where Redon is revived.

What is the significance of the city of Bellot building the Divine Tower of Babel?

The city of Bellot is suggested to be building the Divine Tower of Babel as a means to reach the Divine Gate, which is in line with the theme of attempting to transcend mortal boundaries and achieve divine status.

Outlines

00:00

🌗 Realm of Shadow Lore and Demigod Rules

This paragraph delves into the lore of the realm of Shadow, explaining its division from a once singular realm and the rules governing it. Queen Mora's decision to initiate her age of gold and the sealing of the realm of Shadow are highlighted, along with the sealing of the Rune of Destined Death. The narrative explores the implications of these actions on the demigods and NPCs, suggesting that their choices are influenced by the rules of this shadowy realm. The paragraph also touches on the connection between the realm of Shadow and the concept of death, with references to the Hin and the Lampwood, which guide the spirits of the dead, and the potential journey to the afterlife.

05:03

🕍 Mythological References and the Afterlife in Shadow Realm

The second paragraph examines the mythological and cultural references that define the realm of Shadow as an afterlife. It discusses the connection between the realm and the concept of death, with a focus on how death is processed in this realm. The paragraph references the use of grave violets in Chinese and Japanese mythology to guide spirits and the role of Caro's grave as a potential entity that traverses the planes of life and death. It also explores the symbolism of the red spider lilies and the connection between the shadow keep, the Tibia Mariners, and the processing of death. The narrative suggests that the realm of Shadow has been repurposed as an afterlife, drawing on various mythologies to create a rich lore.

10:06

🌀 Divine Pillars, Miracles, and Communication with Outer Gods

This paragraph discusses the symbolic representation of the Boaz and Jacen pillars, which are seen throughout Bellot and are associated with balance and divine miracles in Western mysticism. The narrative explores the function of these pillars in the game, suggesting they allow for divine communication and intervention. The paragraph also touches on the concept of suffering and asceticism as a means to commune with outer gods, referencing the use of the Lumen flowers in Bloodborne and the potential for characters to take in divine suffering. The discussion concludes with the idea that the spiral and celestial eyeball motifs may serve as a means of receiving divine instructions or influence.

15:07

🏙️ The Divine Tower of Babel and the City of Bellot

The final paragraph speculates on the city of Bellot's construction of the Divine Tower of Babel, suggesting it as a reference to the biblical story and a means to reach the Divine gate mentioned earlier. The narrative posits that the tower's construction out of people may be part of an attempt to achieve divine aspirations. The paragraph promises further exploration of this topic in a future video, indicating a deeper dive into the lore and implications of the city's actions.

Keywords

💡Realm of Shadow

The 'Realm of Shadow' is a significant concept in the video, referring to a separate plane that was once part of the 'Lands Between' but was sealed away by Queen Mara. It is now depicted as an afterlife realm, which is central to the narrative of the video. The script discusses how this realm is influenced by various mythologies and is connected to the process of death and rebirth, as seen in the story of Redon and Mika.

💡Queen Mora

Queen Mora is a character mentioned in the script who is responsible for ushering in her 'Age of Gold' and sealing away the 'Realm of Shadow'. Her actions have caused a division in the realm, which is a pivotal point in the lore being discussed. The script also mentions her background as a seamstress, which is tied to the creation of magical items and the manipulation of reality.

💡Rune of Destined Death

The 'Rune of Destined Death', also known as the 'Forbidden Shadow', is an element of the lore that has been sealed away along with the 'Realm of Shadow'. It is suggested to play a role in the separation of life and death, and is connected to the narrative of the video through the concept of the 'Lands Between'.

💡Seamstress and Seamster

The terms 'Seamstress' and 'Seamster' are used to describe the roles of Queen Mora and Ragon Mark, respectively. They are skilled in working with cloth that possesses magical properties. The script discusses how their abilities relate to the creation of items like the 'Mimic Veil' and the 'Golden SE Needle', which are integral to the story's lore.

💡Hin and Lampwood

The 'Hin and Lampwood' are part of the lore that the script initially thought to be a folktale but later realized to have significant ties to the 'Realm of Shadow'. The 'Lampwood' is described as guiding the dead in the spirit world, and the script connects this to the concept of an afterlife and the process of death in the game's narrative.

💡Tibia Mariners

The 'Tibia Mariners' are mentioned in the context of their boats being used to burn dead bodies to ash in the 'Realm of Shadow'. This process is a new way of handling death after the separation from the 'Lands Between'. The script also connects them to the 'Gravekeeper Boats' and the necromantic practices within the game's world.

💡Red Spider Lilies

The 'Red Spider Lilies' are a recurring motif in the script, associated with guiding the dead spirits into the next life during a reincarnation cycle. They are used in the design of Caro's Grave and are connected to the Japanese myth and mysticism present in the game's lore.

💡Divine Gate

The 'Divine Gate' is a location in the 'Realm of Shadow' that is central to the narrative of Redon's rebirth. The script suggests that Redon's soul needed to be moved to this realm to fulfill his vow to Micha, indicating the importance of the 'Divine Gate' in the game's mythology.

💡Mara and Mika

Mara and Mika are characters whose actions and motivations are discussed throughout the script. They are depicted as being out of equilibrium, betraying their 'other' selves at different points. Their story is tied to the themes of suffering, asceticism, and the influence of outer gods.

💡Solomonic Columns

The 'Solomonic Columns', also known as the Boaz and Jacen pillars, are esoteric symbols representing balance and the ability to conduct divine miracles. The script discusses their presence in Bellot and their connection to the game's lore, suggesting they are a visual representation of divine communication and intervention.

💡Divine Tower of Babel

The 'Divine Tower of Babel' is a concept mentioned at the end of the script as a potential reference to the city of Bellot's construction efforts. It is suggested that the tower was being built to reach the 'Divine Gate', tying into the themes of ambition, divine intervention, and the game's overarching narrative.

Highlights

The realm of Shadow was once a singular realm with life and death, but was divided by Queen Mora during her Age of Gold, creating a separate plane.

The Rune of Destined Death was sealed away, contributing to the separation of life and death and the formation of the realm of Shadow.

Queen Mora's background as a seamstress and Ragon's as a seamster play a role in the manipulation of reality and the realm of Shadow.

The realm of Shadow has become a dumping ground for death and other suppressed elements, influenced by Queen Mora's actions.

The Hin and the Lampwood are believed to guide the dead in the spirit world, similar to the concept of Valhalla in Norse mythology.

The Black-Knife Assassins and the Concealing Veil are tied to the realm of Shadow, with abilities to disappear and manipulate death.

The realm of Shadow processes death differently, with boats burning bodies to ash, a departure from the original process involving death right birds.

Caro's grave and the red spider lilies are symbolic of guiding spirits into the next life, reflecting cultural beliefs about reincarnation.

The mimic tier larvae item in the shadow realm represents the veil between the spirit realm and the realm of the living.

Redon's death and rebirth are tied to the realm of Shadow, suggesting a divine plan involving the Divine Gate.

The Pillars of Boaz and Jachin are symbolic of divine equilibrium and the ability to perform miracles, present throughout Bellot.

The city of Bellot is speculated to be building a Divine Tower of Babel, attempting to reach the Divine Gate.

Suffering and asceticism allow characters to commune with outer gods, taking in their influence without the need for divine cells.

The spiral and celestial eyeball motifs may serve as a means of divine communication and intervention in the game.

The video discusses the lore and symbolism of the realm of Shadow, providing insights into the game's narrative and character motivations.

Transcripts

I've gotten a lot of questions from

people asking me to cover NPC and

demigod lore first some of the questions

include why did Micha and melenia March

on redon when redon seemed to have a vow

with Mika and things like did he have to

die did melenia weaken him for us what's

going on with that and a lot of the

intentions regarding some of the

demigods and NPCs I actually can't get

into until we understand the rules of

the realm of Shadow because I think that

that dictates a lot of the choices that

the demigods are making they're trying

to kind of play the hand that they've

been dealt with the rules that they have

so let's get into those rules that's

what today's episode's about it's going

to be the rules of the realm of

Shadow we know that at some point in the

story's history Queen Mora decides to

usher in her age of gold and seals away

the realm of Shadow we'll get into why

in another video but the point of me

bringing this up is that this causes a

division of a once singular realm into

two different PLS we also learned from

NPC enia in the base game that she also

sealed away the Rune of destined death

or the Forbidden Shadow which I think

plays into this a little bit there's

been this separation between life and

death we get a hint that during the

story trailer with the line an affair

from which gold arose and so too was

Shadow born that this is the case but

it's also further confirmed with the

suppressing pillar lore which declares

that this is the very center of the

lands between so even though the realm

of Shadow is separate it is very clearly

a plane that used to belong in the lands

between so how did Mara achieve this

obviously she was like if the Elden ring

we've talked about this before is like

the source code of reality in this

setting and she's like kind of gone

about separating it and you know messing

with reality a little bit but I also

think that there's some really cool lore

regarding her background as a seamstress

and raton's background as a seamster we

know that ragon Mark's Other Self is

proficient at cloth that has magical and

mystical properties and this is

supported by items that we've talked

about a long time ago in the past Mara

has the mimic Veil a veil that casts an

illusion that allows the wearer to

appear as something else that is known

as Mar's mischief and therefore

associated with her we have the

concealing Veil which was a veil used by

the Eternal cities and the black knife

assassins who are marica's kin which

allow users to disappear when at a

distance we have the veil on the black

knife assassin armor which Alis skates

their face the golden SE needle that

used to belong to ragon which we can

give to Bach to alter demigod armor and

the Baldin that's located in Queen Mar's

bed chamber which resembles the Baldin

that is concealing the shadowlands or

the realm of Shadow so this other place

that used to belong to the lands between

then has become a Dumping Ground for

death and other things that Queen Mara

wishes to suppress enter h and steeple

this is an item that I didn't think was

going to come up at all I assumed that

the hin and the lampwood were just kind

of like some weird myth or a belief

system that popped up like a folktale

almost cuz Miaki loves to do that a

little bit like he'll add some flavor

text or Regional lore about a land in a

distant place I thought that H and

steeple was kind of like this it was

like a maybe a belief from like a

particular group like the Caden writers

or something regarding the afterlife but

I didn't realize that we were actually

going to potentially go there in the

deal see so let's break that down a

little bit the great sword is patterned

after the black steeple of the hin the

lampwood which guides the dead of the

spirit world the lampl is similar to

Grace in appearance and it is said that

it can only be seen by those who meet

their death in battle while in the

church District of the Shaded keepi

realized that the spires resembled the

hin steeple a little bit which acts as

this game's Valhalla there's also a cute

little nod to Valla with Freya as she

can be found in a field starting the DLC

and in Nordic mythology bahala belongs

to Odin but folkvang belongs to Freya

which is like this big field of reads

which is also an afterlife super cool

imagery that's being used here but I

digress I was having a conversation with

another content creator Mana celest who

is a Twitter content creator they do a

lot of like Elden ring lore posts and we

were talking about the he and steeple

and the way that death is being

processed and suppressed in the shadow

realm and another user dry Cola

responded with something else that they

noticed the boats around the Shaded keep

are the ti be a Mariner boats they're

the gravekeeper boats and they're being

used to burn dead bodies to Ash in the

realm of Shadow which replaces the

original process of death originally

when everything used to be one the

process of death was dictated by the

death right birds and they would burn

both the body and the soul of those in

their kils to create like a ash in

addition to this we also get health and

steeple from a tibia Mariner I have a

boat so there's this connection between

the shadow keep and the tibia Mariners

and the way that death is now being

processed which is super cool but these

little references to Valhalla was kind

of like clicking into place with me you

know Caro's grave that's in kind of like

the southern part of the map first off

that name is suspiciously close to Karen

from Greek mythology Karen carries The

Souls of those who have been given

funeral rights across r that separate

the worlds of the living and the dead so

we're having like an entity that's able

to Traverse both PLS and carry Souls

from one place to another which is a

really cool enemy design given the fact

that they act as necromancers in the

lands between and they're able to

reanimate the dead utilizing either

death rout or um like their songs but

another really cool visual Motif that's

being used here is the red spider lies

that cover Caro's grave and in both

China and Japan the red spider lies are

believed to guide the dead Spirits into

the next life during a reincarnation

cycle and sure enough we seem to see the

ghostly manifestation of the Grave

Violet item in the shadow realm to help

guide us into the lands between

potentially so we're kind of seeing like

there is a veil and there is two sides

of the veil and so we're seeing when

we're when we're in the realm of Shadow

we're kind of seeing what ghosts see

when they see the grave violets because

the tibia Mariners use grave violets for

a necrom so we're kind of like if we

were a lost Spirit we would follow those

flowers into the lands between via

Spirit

summoning another really weird item that

also kind of establishes that there's

this Veil between the spirit realm and

the realm of the living is the fact that

the mimic tier larvae item exists as

like a spirit in the shadow realm

because it's established that it's not

quite corporeal and not quite a spirit

on both sides so we're seeing it has

this like weird in between property so

that's a really cool like little

artistic detail that even though it's

the same item it's visually distinct

when you're seeing it from the realm of

Shadow what I'm trying to get at here

though is that for all intense and

purposes this realm has been repurposed

into an afterlife and it's referencing

various instances of the afterlife in

real world's mythology this is also

likely the reason why redon had to die

in order for his vow to be fulfilled to

Micha he needed redon's soul to be moved

into the realm of Shadow because that is

where the Divine gate is located and

it's likely that he's using moog's body

because Moog acted as as like his Uber

driver into the realm of Shadow but I I

kind of wonder if it's because he like

has horns if that is like a component of

it as well and I'll get into that in

another video but yeah this is why redon

had to die first in order for him to be

reborn this is also likely why micha's

cocoon had to be sabotaged and why Mika

had to die as well because his physical

body needed to die in order for him to

Traverse the other side I think in

addition to that alongside a lot of the

red spider lies and like the Japanese

myth and like mysticism that's happening

with the design philosophy of that area

it makes sense too that St Trina is cast

down into this pit because it almost

Echoes like an inverted version of the

isagi isanami

story of Japanese mythology where

there's a brother and a sister and one

of them gets abandoned in the Underworld

and so we quite literally see like this

big deep dark tunnel that is the Fisher

that is where we find St Trina and so

it's it's interesting that we're getting

all of these like mythological

references to death it's it seems very

intentional but now we know kind of why

Mika had to do the things Micha had to

do in order to get redon to the other

side and in order to get himself to the

other side but now I want to talk about

how I want to talk about the visual

representation of the BOS and jacen

pillars that are constantly being

represented throughout bellot and then

also at the very tippy top of the tower

I've referenced these pillars in

previous speculation videos but these

are the solomonic columns that are Roman

depictions of the two pillars the Boaz

and jacen pillars the Divine pillars

that are an abrahamic religion and they

refer to the first temple of Solomon

that is located in Jerusalem while Rome

is obviously a very long ways away from

Jerusalem the Romans attempted to depict

these pillars and they became commonly

used as an esoteric symbol of the

rosicrucians and the

[Music]

Freemasons also around the 1900s they

were then reused in Tarot Card esoteric

symbolism if you're a tarot card reader

you're likely familiar with with the

symbol it is on The High Priestess tarot

card the J and B pillars that you might

see if you're also a Persona player you

may

rep you may recognize this but they

represent being in balance of opposing

forces so in Western mysticism if you're

standing between these two pillars

you're kind of being seen as a Divine

figure who is like in equilibrium but

also if you're standing between these

pillars you are able to conduct Divine

Miracles such as he healing these two

pillars allow for various prophets to

heal the blind or you know heal somebody

with ailments and in a really famous

painting done by Raphael titled the

healing of a lay man it depicts this I

quite literally think that the pillars

around bellot and the spiral Motif that

we're constantly seeing reference both

in-game lore which is The Crucible

Vortex what Crucible Vortex I can talk

Crucible Vortex and it's also

referencing the Divine gate of Miracles

which redon is revived between so we're

seeing a Divine Miracle happening with

the Revival of redon the funny thing is

in Tarot and in other symbolism The

Entity that's depicted between the

pillars like I said before is like

inbalance or in internal equilibrium it

usually means you're able to make like

wise or intuitive decisions but both

Mara and Mika are not imbalance they

both betray their other s at different

points in time for different reasons and

they both have motivations that seem to

be driven by things that are not

necessarily like fully selfless like I

do think that Mara's original or sorry

micha's original intentions had to do

with siblings but I'll talk about that

in another video but I do think that the

abandonment of St Trina makes him not

imbalance like he is he is out of

equilibrium and I think that that's a

very intentional imagery that's being

evoked there but in addition to The

Crucible Vex there's also a cosmic and

Celestial function for these spirals

that we see and we find out that they

actually perform a function for the

character meter her spiral tail allows

her to communicate with other outer Gods

like the greater will and I kind of

wonder if this spiral serves as a means

of divine communication and intervention

I've been calling her an emir stabs

Divine sell phones and the twisting of

the two fingers with the celestial eye

on top that can peer into the cosmos is

actually something that we've seen

before specifically in bloodborne we've

seen the Lumen flowers which are

depicted as sunflowers they look like an

eyeball like an iris and they are used

to face like a cosmic truth or like a

Divine truth and so the living failures

are able to use the Lumin flowers to

commune with these like Celestial outer

Gods I also think too that micha's

needle being an object that allows us to

completely cut off intervention from

Outer Gods has this spiral and this like

Celestial eyeball imagery um it's also

like the Hermetic snake imagery that

we've seen before but yeah it has like a

function in the game too that's that's

really similar to like meter staff and

the maternal staff those are the same

staffs the greater the other staff uh

emier staff for the Mortal characters in

the game we do find that suffering

allows us to commune with Divine gods or

like take in the influence of outer Gods

so we don't really need Divine cellones

per se but we just need an intense

amount of suffering so for example the

fire Giants are able to

rip off and burn parts of themselves to

then take in the influence of the fell

God or we see Melina get opened up to

Divine suffering when torrent gets

burned during the the frenzi flame

ending we see Romina gets burned and

she's able to take in the outer God of

rot we oh and uh melenia stabs herself

and she's able to take in the outer God

of rot there seems to be this kind of

sense of like I guess it doesn't have to

just be Mortals it can be the demigods

too but any degree of suffering

or like asceticism or like despair

lamentation those kinds of things um

allow you to be able to take in the

influence of an outer God but yeah it

seems like the spiral and the eyeball

allows you to like receive instructions

so that's also like another really cool

function for this like double pillar

spiral Motif um but I'm going to be

making a video about The Crucible and

raw I'm going to be making a video about

um you know like the the Grandam and

bellot and some of the bellot visuals

that have the spiral so you'll hear me

bring that up a couple times but yeah H

this video is already too long um I know

it's not as long as some of my other

longer format content but

yeah this one just needed to be done I

think for any of the other videos to

make sense so okay

bye this is a little PS because I

realized it would be really silly of me

to not mention it in this video in

addition to my bellot video but I

absolutely think that the city of bellot

is building the Divine Tower of Babel I

definitely think it's like a reference

to that story and I think they were

using this Tower to try to reach the

Divine gate that I was talking about

earlier in this video so yeah I think

that that is the purpose of why they

were building stuff out of people I'll

go into it in more detail later okay

goodbye