Why Elden Ring's Tarnished Were Exiled
Elden Ring's protagonist — an exiled Tarnished — is someone who's returned to the Lands Between to reclaim the status of Elden Lord, but what's less readily known is why the character was exiled in the first place. Because George R.R. Martin helped create Elden Ring settings and characters, his contribution, however large or small, clearly played a role in a lot of the lore. Also, prior to the release of Elden Ring, Miyazaki shined some light on specific details related to the backstory of the Lands Between, some of which touched on the Tarnished protagonist's role in the game.
To understand the backstory of those who've been exiled in Elden Ring, it's crucial to know what a Tarnished person is. As they're referred to throughout the game, the Tarnished are individuals who no longer have the life force of the Erdtree running through them. Unlike those who haven't been exiled, Elden Ring's Tarnished possesses a distinct black essence around their eyes, while the others have a golden glow — indicating their connection to the Erdtree. For many years, before the great Shattering war, those who'd been exiled no longer had access to the immortality they'd once been gifted from the Erdtree's life force. Of course, that all changed after Godwyn The Golden was assassinated and the Death Rune was stolen, which eventually set up the events that unfold during Elden Ring's playthrough. Now, an exiled Tarnished has returned to the Lands Between in hopes of reuniting the land once more, just as famous Godfrey had once done.
Related: Elden Ring's Fall Damage Is Needlessly Hard To Guess
Essentially, all of the Tarnished in the Lands Between originally became exiled because they'd fallen from grace in one way or another. While some
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