Shadow of the Erdtreeintroduced a treasure trove of new lore to the already elaborate universe ofElden Ring, and one surprising mystery can be found in an unassuming dark corner of the Shadow Realm. The expansion of the Frenzied Flame lore includes an area that will drive Tarnished mad, quite literally: theterrifying Abyssal Woods, where even Torrent is afraid to roam. If Tarnished dare explore this area and manage to avoid the many difficult enemies - including the Aging Untouchables, who can only bedefeated with a well-timed parry- they will find themselves at Midra’s Manse.
A painting inside this minor Legacy Dungeon depictsMidra, Lord of Frenzied Flameand his partner, Nanaya, aSOTEcharacter about whom very little is known. By piecing together clues around the Shadow Realm, fans of the franchise have started theorizing that this painting provides details about a major NPC in the base game,Shabriri. As with allElden Ringlore,the specifics are elusive, the details are difficult to piece together, and there may not be a conclusive answer to the questions raised about Shabriri’s murky past.
These Shadow Of The Erdtree Details Hint At Shabriri’s Origins
Nanaya’s Torch And Locations Such As Midra’s Manse Contain Clues About Shabriri
The painting inMidra’s Manseof an old, withered Midra shows Nanaya standing behind him with her hand draped across her belly, indicating she may be pregnant. This raises the question of whom this child could have been, pointing to items such asNanaya’s Torchinside the Manse for clues.This torch may have been a sort of vessel for the Frenzied Flame that allowed Shabriri to manifestin the Lands Between. Its description includes some peculiar phrasing (which may be intentional) and a vague explanation ofwhat happened to Midraafter he failed to become the Lord of Frenzied Flame:
A torch made by attaching a dying flame of frenzy to a small spinal column. In a distant land, in an age long past, was born a man who failed to become the Lord of Frenzied Flame. All that remains of him is cradled gently by Nanaya.
One popular interpretation of this item description is that Midra was the “dying flame of frenzy” after having failed to become its Lord, and in the same course of events, the child was lost,its “small spinal column” used by Nanaya to forge this torch as a last-ditch effort to keep both of them alive. While the theory relies on many assumptions, one cannot help speculating about Midra and Nanaya’s fate, and who exactly the child was, if a piece of it survived at all. Despite all of this, Shabriri is never mentioned directly in relation to Midra or Nanaya.
One Elden Ring Theory Explains The Connection Between Midra, Nanaya, & Shabriri
Lands Between And The Shadow Realm: Different Dimensions Bound By Frenzied Flame
The lack of a direct connection between Shabriri, Midra, and Nanaya hasn’t stopped theories from attempting to explain the possibilites. Even without explicit evidence in the game,it’s hard to deny that certain details about the Frenzied Flame and Shabriri in the Lands Betweenseem intricately connected to the Shadow Realm. Consider the striking similarity between items such as theShabriri Grapefrom the base game compared to theSwollen GrapeinShadow of the Erdtree, where the latter seems like a ripened version of the former.
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Tarnished also learn fromShabriri’s WoethatShabriri was punished for slander, his eyes gouged out, and was eventually infested by a “blight of frenzy.“More significantly, theHowl of Shabririincantation explicitly calls him the originator of madness in the Lands Between:
It is said that the sickness of the flame of frenzy began with Shabriri, the most reviled man in all history.
In addition to Shabriri’s deep connection with the Three Fingers and Chaos, the nature of his existence is such that he must inhabit a body that was offered to him, hence his possession ofBloody Finger Hunter Yura. These many scattered clues raise a lot of significant questions:Where did the Frenzied Flame come from before it infested the Lands Between?And what is Shabriri exactly? Why and how was this sickness able to spread through him? Tarnished may never have satisfying answers to these questions, so all that is left to do is try to piece together a theory.
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One version taking these various details into account is that Midra and Nanaya’s story ended tragically when Midra became obsessed with, and eventually failed to become, the Lord of Frenzied Flame. Because of this failure, the child is somehow lost, andin an attempt to save both her child and her fallen Lord, Nanaya forges a torch that will bind the three of them eternally. Perhaps it is from this torch that Shabriri, an entitiy comprised of dying Frenzied Flame, was able to travel from the Shadow Realm to the Lands Between and become “the most reviled man in all history.”
While this may seem convenient, there are many other possible explanations out there surrounding these questions. Unfortunately, there are mostly only theories that rely on heavy assumptions, andultimately there is no clear and definitive interpretation of any one item, painting, piece of dialogue- or really anything - inElden Ring. Theories can’t account for every nuance in FromSoftware’s intricate and intentionally vague environmental-storytelling approach to narratives. But for a large portion of theElden Ringfanbase, the open-ended nature of lore such as Shabriri, Midra, Nanaya, and the Frenzied Flame is what makes the game exciting and fun.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a popular game released by From Software, creators of games such as Armored Core, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. Players assume the role of a Tarnished, a being once exiled to the Lands Between and has returned to repair the Elden Ring after the events of “The Shattering.” “The Shattering” occurred when the offspring of Queen Marika battled to claim the shards of the Elden Ring, known as Great Runes. Their war has brought lawlessness, destruction, and chaos to the land, and the player will challenge them with the assistance of a Maiden known as Melina as they travel towards the great Erd Tree to face their destiny and to become the one true Elden Lord. Players can tackle the game how they choose and can adventure across realms as they build their character how they want - be it a powerful magic caster or a brutal swordsman - they will have complete control over their build.
