Tarnished are creatures from the computer game Elden Ring, who live in the world of the game and have lost the grace of the Earth Tree. In the world of Elden Ring, who have lost the grace of the Earth Tree.
Tarnished: The Loss of Grace in Elden Ring
The grace of Earth Tree is a blessing in Elden Ring. Beings with this blessing have eyes that glow gold. When one loses this blessing for any number of reasons, they also lose their status. Not only do people lose their golden eyes, but they are considered undead beings in Elden Ring. Thus, the cutscene in the game’s intro describes, „Dead, yet full of life.“
After losing the grace of the Earth Tree, the individuals are considered monsters, feared and banished in the Lands Between. Outside of that area, they were referred to as Tarnished. It is not known whether the Tarnished are actually alive in their exile (a kind of mausoleum) or merely exist.
What are the Tarnished doing in the Lands Between? Elden Ring
Although the Tarnished have lost the right to live in the Lands Between, they are returning in Elden Ring. Due to the increase in power of Elden Ring, the power of the Earth Tree has also increased. It is the manifestation of Elden Ring. The leaves of the tree, which glow gold, give individuals their power. But this also attracts other creatures hungry for this energy. Among them are the followers of the goddess Marika (Empyrean race), who disappeared when the Elden Ring was shattered. These followers, respectively these children of the queen thus fell into madness. The children of Marika also waged war among themselves. As demigods, they already had a lot of power. They wanted the fragments of the Elden Ring each for himself to become even more powerful. However, this war led to the shattering. The consequences of the shattering are particularly evident in the town of Caelid. It is located in the east of the Lands Between and is completely rotten.
Some of the mad demigods managed to take fragments of the Elden Ring, but none managed to become the „Elden Lord“. That is, the person who can concentrate power and rule over the Lands Between. Thus, the ring continued to be broken into fragments. The demigods were deformed in a terrible way.
As a result, the Earth Tree lost its power. As a last act, he gave back to some Tarnished a part of their grace. This is also the case with the player’s character. The task now is to defeat the scattered demigods and take the fragments they possess. In this way, the Elden Ring can be reassembled and the power of the Earth Tree can be restored. As a Tarnished One, the player is able to resurrect after his death, should he fall in battle against the demigods. Thus, the player’s task is to be the new Elden Prince and save the world, just as a legend has already predicted.
Known Tarnished:
- The player’s character
- Sir Gideon Ofnir, the omniscient one
- Hoarah Loux, ruler of the wasteland
- Manure eater
- Gold mask
- Fia, companion on the deathbed
- The old knight, Istvan