Summary
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis a major accomplishment for FromSoftware. Not only does the DLC offer some ofElden Ring’s toughest bossesand most expansive, artistically significant environments, but it also expands the base game’s lore in meaningful, unexpected ways. This new lore introduces additional context to the established story of the base game, broadening the horizons of its world.
Among the most significant additions toElden 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 ofShadow 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
As is the case withmuch ofElden Ring’s lore, certain elements of the Hornsent’s backstory are a matter of interpretation.
By the time players get to The Land of Shadow, it’s clear that it has been the stage for a bloody conflict: villages have been burnt to a crisp, encampments of soldiers are scattered throughout the lands, and once-respectable towns and cities have been reduced to ruins. It would appear that the “tyranny of Messmer’s flame” is not so metaphorical, as Messmer, working as an agent of Marika, led his armies through The Land of Shadow, using both flame magic and more conventional means to leave behind a trail of destruction.
The Hornsent questlineis all about seeking retribution for these injustices. The Hornsent were once the dominant civilization in The Land of Shadow, though their rule was far from benevolent. They oppressed Marika’s people, the Numen, who settled in the Shaman Village in the northern region of The Land of Shadow. Marika managed to escape the Hornsent’s twisted designs, leaving The Land of Shadow and ascending from Empyrean status to full godhood, eventually seeking to impose the rule of The Golden Order on the once-powerful Hornsent race. This is a major event in a cycle of violence, which continues with Hornsent’s mission to kill Messmer.
The Hornsent, the Crucible, and Living Jars
Shadow of the Erdtreesheds some light on the Living Jarsof the base game, revealing their origin. As it turns out, the Hornsent, who are spiritually connected to the Primordial Crucible, created these Living Jars, though the process was not as consensual as some may have imagined. The Hornsent forced the Numen into these jars, melding them together into grotesque amalgamations of flesh. While the specific reasons for this horrifying ritual are not entirely clear, it’s tied to the Primordial Crucible, which the Hornsent worship.
The Primordial Crucible predates much ofElden Ring’smain story. It is an era, or some sort of alternate plane of existence, characterized by the combination of all life. This is why the Aspects of the Crucible incantations are defined by their bestial qualities. Horns are a symbol of the Crucible, and so the Hornsent, who naturally have horns, are spiritually connected to it as a society. Thus, when the Numen, who were identified as being ‘outside’ the Crucible, came to The Land of Shadow, they were oppressed by the Hornsent and stuffed into these jars in an abominable recreation of the Crucible’s combinant nature.
Again, whether the Hornsent wished to ‘convert’ the Numen through this grotesque practice or simply aimed to use them, viewing them as inherently inferior, for their own spiritual ends, is left up for interpretation. But it’s obvious that this religious fervor sowed the seeds for Marika’s eventual siege on The Land of Shadow, which was the impetus forShadow of the Erdtree’s entire narrative.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
