Crumbling Farum Azula is one of the last major legacy dungeonsElden Ringplayers will encounter, after certain story elements transport them to this location. It is believed thatCrumbling Farum Azulaexists outside of time, and most players believe that it used to be the capital of dragons when they ruled over the Lands Between.
This is supported by how Dragonlord Placidusax is said to await the return of its god and how this relationship parallels the Elden Lord and Greater Will. It is further supported, if a little confusingly, by how killing Malekith here does not kill Gurranq, as not only is there time to consider, but also Malekith’s role as a shadow inElden Ring.
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A place existing outside of time is not terribly odd, but when looking at Farum Azula, it does pose some big questions. Redditor Weebmaster09 kickstarted a conversation around Faruma Azula by highlighting that it’s always sunny/daytime in Farum Azula. This is likely because of the time paradox, but others were quick to chime in on this and ask other big questions, such as why players can see the Erdtree burning from Farum Azula and why Faruma Azula can be seen fromMiquella’s Isolated Tower.
It’s an odd omission, one would think, if Farum Azula exists outside of time. To see it from Miquella’s tower, even if it has no physical access, makes little sense, while changes in the Lands Between like the burning of the Erdtree makes even less sense. However, it’s possible there’s an important distinction here that helps explain things.
Many lore entries like the Old Lord’s Talisman and Remembrance of the Dragonlord reference time and Crumbling Farum Azula, butMiquella’s Needleis perhaps key to these events: “however, the needle is as yet unfinished and can only be used in the heart of the storm beyond time said to be found in Farum Azula.” What this seemingly implies is that Farum Azula is a real place within this time, but what’s within it is frozen in time by the storm.
It’s a small distinction, but it would explain several of the oddities mentioned here, as well as explainDragonlord Placidusax’s role within the area, why time within the area doesn’t change, why deaths don’t change much, and why things outside of it still seem to happen. Time is frozen, more or less, in Crumbling Farum Azula, a more accurate description perhaps than it existing outside time in some plan or in the past. However one interprets the lore of the location, the possibilities speak to the subtle storycrafting style of FromSoftware inElden Ring.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
