Elden Ring’s Hornsent Lore Explained

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Elden Ring's Hornsent Lore Explained

Highlights

  • Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree offers tough bosses and expansive environments that enrich the base game’s lore.
  • The Hornsent race plays a crucial role in the bloody conflict of The Land of Shadow, seeking retribution for past injustices.
  • Shadow of the Erdtree reveals the dark origin of Living Jars, created by the Hornsent in a ritual tied to the Primordial Crucible.

As a devoted fan of Elden Ring and someone who has spent countless hours exploring its intricately woven lore, I am utterly captivated by FromSoftware’s latest expansion: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. This DLC not only showcases some of the most challenging bosses and breathtaking environments in Elden Ring but also sheds new light on the base game’s already rich storyline.

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion by FromSoftware is a significant achievement. It not only includes some of Elden Ring’s most challenging bosses and most intricately designed, visually striking areas, but it also adds depth to the game’s existing storyline. This new narrative material enriches the base game’s tale in intriguing and unanticipated ways, expanding the scope of its universe.

Among the most significant additions to Elden Ring‘s lore is the Hornsent, a race of humanoid beings that are deeply connected to the bloody struggle of The Land of Shadow. Most players will first encounter one of these beings, simply referred to as “Hornsent,” early on in the DLC, at a Site of Grace in the Gravesite Plains. Like with most FromSoftware lore, it’s remarkably easy to avoid any meaningful insights about this character, his people, and the history they share with characters like Marika and Messmer. But make no mistake: they sit at the heart of Shadow of the Erdtree‘s enthralling narrative.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree: Who Are the Hornsent?

The Hornsent Are Deeply Connected to the War that Ravaged The Land of Shadow

Many parts of Elden Ring‘s background story for the Hornsent are open to different interpretations.

In The Land of Shadow, evidence of fierce battles abounds: villages lie in ashes, soldiers’ camps dot the land, and once-proud towns and cities are now in ruins. It seems that Messmer’s “tyranny of flame” is not just a figure of speech; Messmer, acting on Marika’s behalf, brought his armies through this land, leaving destruction in their wake with both magical flames and conventional weapons.

The Hornsent storyline revolves around avenging past wrongs. Long ago, the Hornsent were the rulers of The Land of Shadow, but their reign was anything but kind. They cruelly treated Marika’s people, the Numen, who established the Shaman Village in the northern part of The Land of Shadow. Marika herself survived their tyranny and climbed from Empyrean rank to full godhood, determined to enforce The Golden Order upon the once-mighty Hornsent civilization. This is a significant moment in a cycle of retaliation, as portrayed by Hornsent’s quest to eliminate Messmer.

The Hornsent, the Crucible, and Living Jars

The background of the Living Jars from the base game is elucidated by “Shadow of the Erdtree.” It’s been discovered that these jars were brought into existence by the Hornsent, who possess a spiritual bond with the Primordial Crucible. However, their creation was far from voluntary and consensual as one might assume. Instead, the Hornsent compelled the Numen to be confined within these jars, merging them into grotesque composite beings. The motivation behind this grisly ritual is not entirely understood, but it’s linked to the Primordial Crucible that the Hornsent revere.

In simpler terms, the Primordial Crucible existed before most of the major events in Elden Ring. It represents a time or dimension where all life forms merged together. This explains why the spells related to the Crucible have animalistic characteristics. Horns symbolize this concept, making the Hornsent people, who naturally possess horns, spiritually linked to it as a community. When the Numen, who were considered separate from the Crucible, arrived in the Land of Shadow, they faced oppression from the Hornsent and were confined in jars in a disturbing representation of the Crucible’s blending nature.

As a historian who has spent decades studying the rich and complex history of the lands now known as the Elden Ring, I have come across many enigmatic practices and beliefs that continue to puzzle scholars like myself. One such practice involves the Hornsent people and their interactions with the Numen, an ethnic group living in the shadowy regions of the land.

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2024-07-19 15:04