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Miss chalice, your voice and essence make me feel like you value the golden rule and being treated equally but fairly. Your necklace makes me wonder if you also at times want to be someone kitty, or pet. 😜
My interpretation of it is that Bernahl saw us in this place from the duo fight and knew what we were doing having gone down this road and coming up short. He's full of honor and may have thought we could not have beaten Maliketh without the stone he had. His journey failed and so to see if we were ready to finish what he couldn't he fights us in the way a recusant does by invading. This invasion is a test to make sure we can finish his fight and succeed where he failed. In doing that it carries his hope and blessing with us into the rest of our rebellion against the tree.
This was my take as I was watching as well--however, if he wanted us to succeed, why not just cooperate with us in the Maliketh fight, thereby doubling the chance of his mission's success? It's a bit of a rhetorical question, because who ever knows with Fromsoft? But it's odd to me that Bernahl helps against the Godskins, whom he has no personal connection with, rather than helping with Maliketh--whom he has lore-driven motivations to fight. After all, I don't think he's as much concerned about your own success as he is with the fulfillment of his "brother's" will, a goal with which you are both aligned.
@@ReturnoftheLightningthat’s the general motivation for Recusants but Bernahl specifically has a grudge against the Erdtree so his motivation isn’t power for powers sake and given how he talks about the act of killing other Tarnished I don’t think he’s doing it for fun.
My theory on why Bernahl invades you is quite simple, he does it because it is the final and ultimate expression of the Recusant code. The strong devour, the weak are subsumed into the strong. As the last two Recusants, one of you will face Maliketh, the other will be "devoured" and their stuff taken by the victor. This is notable throughout the questline, you don't just kill your targets, you loot them, adding their strength to yours, and the key item he carries is no exception. Devouring them like the serpent. Great video, I absolutely subscribe to Rykard ideologically being our "brother" because it fits the whole thing Rykard has of his devoured champions being his family, and thus when we beat him, didn't he become our family too?
It's interestiing that the Tarnished vying to become Elden Lord aren't so different. At the end of the day, there can be only one Elden Lord, a state of affairs that implies conflict between the candidates. The Recusants aren't so much the opposite of the Tarnished seeking to become Elden Lord, but their mirror image. That explains also how Rykard was able to slip so easily from Inquisitor of the Golden Order to Blasphemer-in-Chief - at the end of the day, both positions he occupies aren't so different.
I always liked Bernahl as a character and this deep dive makes me like him even more He seems like such a noble badass knight And going against the golden order is very based too
You and Vaati are my go-to Elden Ring creators. You both have this calm & serene cadence to your voices. Your videos are informative and insightful, and borderline ASMR, lol.
True. Chalice and Vaati ALWAYS get me immersed in FromSoft's worlds no matter what they're talking about. Chalice's video about Gideon and Vaati's one abt the Ds3 bosses still send FKING shivers down my spine. I feel like I actually live in the damn Miyazakiverse 😂 Then there's Hawkshaw if ur feeling more unhinged than usual. That plot against the gods video felt like straight up drugs
Bernahl's zweihander is such a kingly relic, that it is the only weapon in the game to be used as an NPC. truly one of the legendary armaments. He leaves it on the chair to come thump you with that serpent-stick you can buy AoW from his sword when volcano manor is finished. any other times a weapon is used as a vendor?
Not really lore connected, but I recently had an odd interaction with Bernahl that I thought I'd share here. During my last play through I had the thought, "What happens if you kill Rykard before speaking with anyone in Volcano Manor?" So I used the Abductor Virgin in Raya Lucaria to teleport me to Volcano Manor, used the safe jump off the cliff side, and fought my way to Rykard. Once Rykard was dead, and I finished off Tanith and her bodyguard who immediately show up on reload of the boss room, I made my way back to the Manor proper. Once I got there the only npc still hanging around was Diallos. Bernahl, Patches, and Rya were nowhere to be found. Upon revisiting the Warmaster's Shack there was an item to pick up that contained all of Bernahl's gear, and his store bell bearing. But Bernahl himself was gone. This also continued when I got to the Godskin Duo. Bernahl's summon sign was completely gone. However, his invading phantom still exists, and will still drop the Blasphemous Claw. Again, probably not lore connected, but I kind of like the head cannon that without the Manor to give him some kind of purpose he just kind of gives up and leaves.
Bernahl is a character who's quest and lore has always kinda confused me but after this video I feel like a lot has been cleared up! I never realized how in depth his quest was. I think for me I like a combination of both interpretations, he started out as a loyal soldier on his way to become Lord but became bitter and resentful when he realized what he would have to do to become Lord. Lovely video Chalice I love your Elden Ring content 😄
Thank you so much! It's really satisfying to hear that I can convey my thoughts well enough to clarify or change the perspectives of others. Making thought-provoking stuff is my passion and I'm glad you enjoy it :)
I second this take, as it would explain why Bernahl would have the insight and compassion for someone who at first answers "my faith holds firm" yet still ends up at the volcano manor. It takes one to know one kinda thing.
Bernahl was actually one of my favourite characters from my first playthrough, since i met him and he sold me ashes of war, to the end when he dropped an object that can block destined death, badass character, but so little said of him, i appreciate the video haha
bernahl’s maiden failed to become kindling because she misunderstood what it meant to burn, and first tried to burn herself with simple fire, then the various flames of the lands between, but what melina had that bernahl’s maiden didnt was the knowledge of melina’s mother/sister marika, that the flame needed is twofold and both flames are hidden away, one on the mountaintops of the giants, and one outside time in farum azula
I like to think that Bernahl fighting you before Maliketh's fight is a test for your strength and capability to retrieve the rune of death. He knows you are strong, you killed Rykard and many powerful tarnished before... but powerful enough to kill him and complete the quest? He had to test it and see with his own eyes.
Yeah-I agree with this read. He values his own power and strives to improve it to take on the greater will himself. He sees you’re doing the same. He intends to either defeat you and usurp your destiny, going on to defeat Maliketh himself with everything he has and everything you have, or end up being defeated by you, to go on to defeat Maliketh yourself.
The fact that he is in Azula means his maiden did succeed and he was sent to Azula, this also explains why the maiden part was cut from the final version. But realizing what has happened he probably didn't proceed. I always thought if a summon sign appears it means the NPC has come there and left the sign to help others so yes Bernahl was here. Since the Bernahl who invades us has the claw, it suggests he was part of Volcano manor and met Rykard. But we will have to speculate his reason for invading us. (He seemed composed about carrying on his brother's will)
Excellent video, as always! Okay so here's how I'm putting all this together in my head, lol. -Bernahl was once a devout follower of the Golden Order and perhaps wanted to be Elden Lord. -He had a maiden, probably figured out that the Tree needed to be burned, but failed. -Disheartened and feeling rejected, he turned to Volcano Manor and becomes a Recusant (the addition of his helmet and new weapon reflects this change in direction). -We summon him to Farum Azula and he figures out that we were the ones who were able to burn the tree. -After returning home, he then invades us... for whatever reason. I can't help but remember his code, "The strong take.". Perhaps his reasoning for killing his own kind was to test them. If they can be beaten by him, someone who failed to take the throne, then they aren't worthy of it. Or even worse yet, he intended to find a tarnished who has progressed farther than he could... and simply replace them. To take their place on the path towards Elden Lord and kill Maliketh for himself. From honorable knight to usurper... maybe because he thought the Golden Order was flawed from the very beginning... but still had faith in the Greater Will. I'm probably very wrong about a lot of things but I think it's an interesting angle to the story. ^_^
its also possible that he meant to give you the stone but needed to affirm through combat that you were worthy of having it. he did mention that the strong take, such is our code so maybe his challenging you was a way to tell you if you want this take it. another great video!
A man driven by faith and honor, who realizes that his faith is nothing more than false hope and manipulation from the two fingers. A man whose honor transcends his life as a recuscant. A Tarnished who should have become elden lord.
To me, he smacks of "Wanting to believe but doesn't/can't," which is a very tragic and painful place to be in. I think he wants to believe in the Golden Order and the Two Fingers but seeing his Maiden burned for nothing bred so much bitterness and resentment he couldn't do it anymore. I think this cuz of how pleased he seems in your faith and how upset he seems when he sees you at the Volcano Manor.
Dude this was a masterclass on character lore videos. I loved how you gradually introduced elements of his story character and inspiration and finally the conclusion to his story. I had missed the majority of his quest so I was mainly unaware of all this. Suffice it to say my jaw dropped at the Farum Azula incident and you introduced it so well, I was engaged 100% of the time. Great presentation and narration, keep up the good work!
Also it was great how you referenced the previous dialogue choices effects on later dialogues. Very helpful for those of us who have missed most of these interactions
Could Bernahl's brother be the unnamed Gelmir Hero? The ghost who asks you to slay Rykard and gives you the "my thanks" gesture upon success? He's right outside of the room Bernahl waits in at the Manor, as though he's waiting for someone who can kill Rykard to pass by. He's also the one that leaves the Serpent Hunter in Rykard's arena, which means he almost certainly died to Rykard himself. Bernahl is aware of what happens to Recusants who audience with Rykard, likely because he's witnessed his brother die in such a way. Perhaps that's why he's so quick to brush off Rykard's death and set his sights on the Greater Will instead.
This makes a lot of sense as to why someone who would seemingly want to oppose Volcano Manor would join. His brother probably originally served under Rykard (he wears the Gelmir Knight set and basically says that Rykard used to be a noble and worthy candidate to be Elden Lord and sever the connection between the Greater Will and the Lands Between) and has to watch everything go to shit because of cannibalism and snakes before he gets devoured by Rykard. After his death, Bernahl joins the Volcano Manor to continue Ghosty-Boy's original goal. B is shocked to see you at the manor because he never expected another "honorable" Tarnished to join, especially because he may have been fond of you. The "nostalgia" line he has earlier directly reminds me of an old warrior remembering the days when he was young and naive. He may view himself as less than honorable for joining and simply accepts the reality that he's no longer a part of the Golden Order he once held so highly, despite now viewing it as a major force of oppression. When you join, despite his warnings, he accepts you as a Recusant very quickly because he is in the same basic position. Even ignoring his own Finger Maiden, it also explains how Bernahl knows that "gaining an audience with Rykard" isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Listening to your seamless transition into displate, and your sweet presenting voice, it makes me realize more and more how much of a master of your craft you are.
Great video!🎉 Bernhal already had the serpent scepter if you kill him in Limgrave, so he’s already under the service of Rykard. I think he’s in Limgrave to hunt for tarnished, and we are lucky he liked us. He also has the amulet that wards off Maliketh’s power, which was given to him by Rykard.🎉l😢
Bernahl and the Warmaster's shack in Limgrave are both next to your first contract's target. It's possible he was there looking for Old Knight Istivan, or locating him for your eventual contract
I love coming home from work and seeing a new chalice notification! I could listen to her silky smooth auritory voice all day! You do such a good job creating these video essays and i cant wait for more! Miss chalice the muse of the erdtree!
You're such a good writer and speaker. I usually dont get too involved in lore but recently I've been using your videos to sleep and it made me start playing elden ring again
As someone who has done HEMA, I can confirm that two-handing gives you better handling of your weapon. Thanks for mentioning that detail, Chalice. I didn’t notice that.
I've seen others talk about Bernahl's invasion, about him living up to the code of the Recusant and testing you, and I am of the same opinion. However, one thing I didn't see mentioned is that I think he invades you not only to test you but also because that is the only way to pass an item onto you. Of course, player summons can willingly drop items for you as a mechanic but no NPC can do this. Maybe the reason he invades you is simply because, according to the laws that bind him (as an NPC summon) he has no other way to pass the Fragment of the Black Blade to you. One could argue he could have simply handed it to you in Volcano Manor but if we treat Farrum Azula as a place that is seperate from our reality (and time), then an invasion/summoning is the only way to reach you now. So yea, in my opinion, not only is he living up to his code as a Recusant of the Strong devouring the Weak, his primary objective here is to help out a brother in the only way he is able to. Great video by the way, I absolutely love the way you present (your) theories and the calm sound of your voice. It reminds me a lot of a Firekeeper. Keep it up! :) Edit for clarification: The reason why I focus so much on the in game mechanic of obtaining an item is because it's something FromSoft has done in the past as well. One of the biggest examples is the beginning cutscene in the Undead Asylum of DkS. When Oscar frees you from your cell, he does it by dropping a corpse into it that you then loot for the key to said cell. Why doesn't he just drop you the key itself but an entire corpse there? In my perspective it is because items in FromSoft's games are bound to their owner's corporeal form, even if they are already dead. Every item you loot either comes from a chest (where one could argue that the item's owner has transferred ownership of the item to the object (chest)) or a corpse with the only exception being item drops from enemies who don't leave a corpse and instead vanish after death (where I would argue them vanishing is simply a performance optimization). On the other hand, I can't remember any summoned NPC ever giving you an item. The only exceptions might be getting a gesture from some DkS3 NPCs (which I would argue you just learn by observing). Please correct me if I'm failing to remember one here, I'm genuinely curious. So yea, I'm absolutely 110% sure that Bernahl is literally adhering to the game's logic of item transfer by NPC's here.
This is one of my favorite Elden Ring lore videos. I never thought too deeply on Bernahl's character but there is so much to unpack. I especially love that detail of Melina putting you to sleep which I didn't think much of at first. Please keep these videos coming
The lore in this game always surprises me, I had never thought about Bernahl's story while playing it, maybe because we find him so far apart in our own journey. As always, great video. You have such a beautiful way to tell these stories.
That was a very informative and well put together lord video. Never would have expected him to have such a deep backstory. it’s always fun to find the more down low lore of characters
i feel like the leaving of the zweihander at the manor is him leaving behind honour in order to double down on the serpent path. killing anyone weaker than him and feeding them to the serpent wich would now be tanith after she eats rykard. when he helps you kill the god skins its just so he can kill you later and absorb your strength (when he invades).
I absolutely adore how you breakdown the lore of ER. I love the game and lore to begin with but as you explain it i find it soothing. Your voice is super gentle and calming, it turns a world of chaos as presented in ER to something else entirely.
I love your videos they are so calm and you can tell you love the game’s characters even if the stories are experienced in such a subtle way. Keep up the great stuff :3
Great video as always! Agree there's not much to connect Bernahl to Rykard as his biological brother: he's doesn't have the R in his name, and he doesn't have the red hair of Radagon. He could be Tanith's brother, but we don't get any text saying he's from a foreign land. The fourth bassinet is a weak theory as well, the fourth child could be the one in the Great Rune of The Unborn. There's a note in the wiki that if you don't talk to him at the manor (reveal that he's a recusant and finish his dialog) he doesn't invade you at Farum Azula, so it does seem like his dialogue and his possession of the Claw (Which he only gets after Rykard dies, I'm thinking?) Implies that he thinks that there "can only be one" and HE wants to be the one that get the Rune of Death and fells the Greater Will, he certainly has the motive, as well as the overall nihilistic philosophy He is Tarnished, and he's a Knight (of what?) , as well as a BEAST champion, so that puts him a bit closer to Hoarah Loux. He does have extraordinary Strength as indicated by the text in the Zwiehander. The weird part is that the Devourer's Scepter is one of the Legendary Armaments, meaning the Recusant Faction had two all along.
This one hit a little close to home. Thank you for the heads up by the way. Still working on the game and haven't gotten that fare yet but your veiw point oh him gives me a new found respect for him and my heart goes out for him. THANK YOU.
While I was watching this, I was exploring Leyndell... And I've just found a Bloodsoaked Mask near the Underground Roadside in Leyndell, it looked just like her headgear only with blood on it. Then I tried searching the full set and found out that the attire can be looted in the Forbidden Lands site of grace, the attire looks different (especially the color) but there's some resemblance. This MIGHT be connected to the cut content by her trying to find the proper(?) flame and so she literally tried both the giants' flame and the frenzied flame.......... if so... damn. But I do think that they somewhat changed the story a bit on this. She most likely focused on the frenzied flame, instead of the giant's flame, based on the fact that the attire had no blood at all, while the mask and gloves were bloodied. This might mean that she either went mad from the frenzied flame and/or died while engulfing herself with the actual frenzied flame...? Thought, the item descriptions don't really say much, but with the information about the cut content NPC, Fromsoft might have just added the set for some reason (to not waste the effort on designing the set maybe?). Also, about Bernahl's invasion. I kinda feel like it's his last test to see if you're ready to face a formidable opponent, just basing this on his personality where he somewhat treats comradery as special. And him acknowledging you as his comrade (probably the ONLY one left), he wanted to provide you one last help. Him not talking/saying anything might be because he wanted solid proof. To see if you still had the will to kill your fellows, even if the manor is gone, and won't let anybody hinder you from achieving your goals. And when you die every time you fight him, it just means you're not ready yet and would require more power. And the moment you kill him, he would be more than happy knowing he is entrusting everything to a worthy and strong comrade, thus you obtaining OR him giving you the Blasphemy Claw. OR, the most straightforward reason: you die (permanently) he proceeds, he dies you proceed... though I prefer the former. nyehehehe :3
i love your deep dives so much it really makes me fall in love with this game over and over. i think bernahl and the invasion are the same person. i think invasions are like "force ghosts", a projection of the person's consciousness that takes physical form for a very short time. i think that farum azula becomes accessible to /all/ after the erdtree is set ablaze, which would explain how bernahl got there to begin with. after rykard's death he says to you "the strong take, that is our code", which leads me to believe that him facing you in farum is actually an act of /respect/. he acknowledges your power, he respects your ambition and he wants to honor you with a death fitting for a recusant. a death, at tarnished hands. he fights you so he can take what you have. the greatrunes. and he keeps the stone with him so he can face the black blade right after, empowered by multiple great runes. his fighting you there is, to him, a passing of the torch. he wants to take from you with strength. the "right" way according to recusant code. and he will honor you by using that power to destroy the golden order/greater will whatever it is hes trying to kill. that last fight is a celebration of your friendship. it is a final ecstatic dance before an inevitable parting of ways. its the only way two people who walk the recusant's path could ever truly say goodbye. he doesnt speak because there is nothing left to say. just one last hurrah before the curtain falls, and one of you keeps walking the path, while the other haunts the steps.
I think adding the context that Bernahl is a recusant the very first time you meet him is very interesting. This means he couldve easily killed you at the start of your journey and had motivation to, but chose to spare you. Perhaps because he sensed something in you that reminded him of himself at one time?
I've always loved the interactions with Bernahl during all my playthroughs in which I join the Volcano Manor. He's such an interesting one, and I'd been contemplating his invasion upon the player for a while. I really like the idea that Bernahl is still just living on somewhere, perhaps having settled down and found a new, happy way to live, in a world of peace under the player as Elden Lord.
Having only ever visited the war master's shack once, I never even realised that guy was the same Bernahl I met in Volcano Manor and later fought. Thank you for another awesome video!
Anyone other than me seeing it as Miquellas cuccoon that the snake is trying to devour on the devourers scepter, and when Miss chalice said "devour the world" it connects beautifully into the theory of Miquella dreaming up the entire world or otherwise... And also the nod at Jormungandr from old norse beliefs.
I have done his quest like once, i loved it but my god his armor is too good and cool looking for me to not inmediately zoop him out of existence Love the video Chalice
I am constantly amazed how much I still have to learn about elden ring despite hundreds of hours of gameplay and endless lore videos!! you've become one of my favorite youtubers, keep up the awesome work!
this zoom in 20:45 absolutely made me giggle, was such a good touch lol omg i never knew any of that about the blasphemous claw! whoaaaa Bernahl's maiden what a cool thing to uncover here. Another exceptional and fascinating video. thank you for this time well spent!
Due to work I've been watching less youtube and my recommended has been pretty dry. Even tho I'm subbed to a bunch of channels I never seem to get the videos on my feed. Glad that this video showed up :) I got 2 more (previous ones) to view after this one. Good way to spend my friday night imo :D. Glad to see ur still making videos, its always a pleasure to watch them!
Finally getting around to watching this one. I'm so elated for a new video. That voice is like a lulling coo while retreading the deep lore. Always thrilled for more.
I know my previous comments said I was done til the next chapter but, I can't help but feel Midra has a similar line of Lore to Bernahl. So many chapters of lore for our Lady Chalice to teach us upon. (I love the dramatic tone of cinema & the purity of the theater, it helps keep the verbiage of our character)
Another fantastic deep dive from my favourite asmr/lore channel. I've done everything associated with Bernahl but didn't know half of this. I wish they had left his maiden in the game, that adds so much depth.
The levels of interpretation in this game is astounding. There’s a million ways to piece the puzzle of Elden Ring together but I have to say the level your videos does it is top tier. This game gets ya thinking. 🤔
Obviously you were explaining the Zweihander based on the game, but i just want to note that while it was heavier than other swords, you can easily maneuver with it. It was by no means as heavy as it is portrayed ingame.
Love your videos! I always found it interesting that Ranni “rewarded” the Blasphemous Claw. Assuming the translation holds, it makes me wonder what deed Rykard performed for Ranni in order to be “rewarded” with the claw…
Helped her with the Night of the Black Knives. May be something about the stolen fragment of Destined Death as receiving the claw means a protection from Maliketh.
❤ chalice I have a 100 percent play through and I still learn from your videos. I probably won’t play the game again until dlc comes out because I spent so much time in it when it came out, but I look forward to your videos after the dlc.
Fantastic lore video for this guy. I had no idea about the lost maiden part. Thank goodness for the cut content miners, and thank goodness for you. Welcome back!
13:05 rather than just the Hunters, the Recusants more akin to the Cainhurst Hunters. Think about it: they both serve a lady consort of a noble, they are both considered blasphemous by the ruling clergy/order and the Cainhurts Hunters are specialized in hunting other Hunters rather than beasts, like the Recusants hunting other Tarnished.
I always interpreted his invasion in farum azula as him clearing the way for you, and giving you a final test to make sure that you are the one that will defeat malekith and take down the greater will. When you get close to the area where he invades, you begin to see dozens of dead beastmen. The closer you get to the end of that bridge, the more bodies there are. I like to think of the fight as the teacher passing the torch to the student, giving you the clawmark seal when you defeat him to help you finish what he could not.
Finally, been looking and waiting for a lore on this guy, his my favorite npc through the game, especially when I realized he was a actually a recusant when I first played the game..
Bernahl is my favorite NPC, the duel is amazing and the 2v2 invasion was amazing. The blasphemous claw was very useful, and I find it strange that he had it, he must've taken it from Rykard's bedroom or something haha. He is an extremely well written, and tragic character. Yet an honorable and powerful friend until the end.
I love the fact that he stood by hss code until the end. "I can't do this, but this damned Tarnished may very well be able to. Should I help? Only once for old times sake, but after they 100% will end me, and I want it to be such. The Item from Rykard might just be imperative to their quest. So I am glad to be "devoured by them", my strength added onto theirs."
whoever thought of hiding bernahl's true helmet and serpent mace thing until later on deserves praise. his vibe completely changes with these differences,,
Ima be honest I didn't pay attention to this guy so I didn't realize he was the same dude at the manor until this video. nor did I know you could fight him, that's why I enjoy these videos
I think it’s said a lot how big Elden Ring’s world is, but it isn’t always appreciated. I played a full Ranni loyalist on my first playthrough, so i didn’t interact with the other factions much. To me, Bernal was just holding the blasphemous claw, which I needed to kill Maliketh. I never even talked to him in Limgrave. So crazy that this character I barely even knew existed had such an insanely well crafted story, thanks for covering it!
Awesome video as alaways Miss Chalice! I didnt do the Volcano Manor stuff so I didn't realize there was so much to Bernahl, but I like the idea thats he's just very hurt and broken
When I spoke to Bernahl after killing Rykard & heard his declaration of war on the Erdtree, my interpretation was that he ment just what he said; he was going to fight & kill the Erdtree. I thought he ment all bets are off from here on out. If it's convenient for him, he'll help you, but he has no more intention of looking out for you or holding back against you. Against the Godskin duo, he knew he'd have to fight them eventually, so might as well do it with an ally. After that though, he knows you want destined death & can't let you claim it. He'd need it to bring death to the Erdtree & the golden order, the fact he has Rykard's blasphemous claw on him proves he was intent of fighting Maliketh. At least that's my reading, thank you for bringing all this information to light, it was a joy to watch
Interesting that the two NPCs we meet in Farum Azula are both allies we met at the start of the game. We actually meet Bernahl just up the road from Alexander in Limgrave. I wonder if their journeys were meant to parrelel eachother in a way.
I really like Bernahl as a character with sudden turns, i also love his armor(aspesially with the cape). I hope he lives on somewhere in his world as the Lord of Beast, because man i first tried Malekith on my first playthrough without even using my brain somehow and fought tooth and nail agains Bernahl. While I honor him wearing his Armor as Rannis Champion completing the Revolution agianst the Golden Order, he was a great Mentor in the Arts of War. May the Beast's roar his name. For our Brother. For Bernahl!!!
Great work as always! I went down a little bit of a rabbit hole after watching this as Bernahl's maiden and Caelid also reminded me of another famous maiden of that Smoldering Church... Anastasia! I wonder if they are linked or if the encounter was repurposed? It always struck me as strange as she didn't seem to fit the mould of a Recusant or Mohg Dynasty invader I looked to see if there were any other connections. While her locations are quite wide spread she is also encountered in a shack at the foot of Gelmir. The Shack contains the spell "Golden Vow" which has an ash of war version that I think Bernahl used a lot in his shack encounter in your footage. On her not being bandaged as Anastasia, she also drops a Sacred Scorpion talisman, which depicts a scorpion shedding it's skin and seizing a glowing heart. Maybe related to her shedding her old skin for a new one somehow? Some pseudo theories - Maybe she is consuming tarnished in order to become worthy kindling for Bernahl (winning back his heart)? Maybe consuming as an act of rebellion? Or maybe Bernahl fell to despair after being catfished by a cannibal
I think Bernahl began as a faithful knight of the Leyndell; he traveled far on his road to become an Elden Lord, but then his maiden burned herself. This event broke something within him and though he harbors no ill-will towards you, his anguish manifested a confused specter which paradoxically both wished to fulfill it's duty to the Greater Will, but also lost it's aim towards this task and began venting it's rage at the unfairness of his maiden's fate. This is what we see happening in Farum Azula; Bernahl's conflicted spirit of the past both helping you, and attacking you. The Bernahl we see today (or at at the Warmaster's Shack earliest) is mellowed out man; his rage has burned to cinders, no uncontrollable inferno, but still hot to touch. He hates what he and his maiden had to suffer for the Greater Will and he would destroy it... but he didn't hate it all. He has nostalgia for his knighthood and he doesn't want to ruin that chance of valor for others. He knows he is tainted by his hatred, but he doesn't think others need to become like himself, though he won't stop you, or judge you if you come to same conclusions as he did. A sad, yet noble man, fallen to lows even he himself realizes, yet who chooses to plunge ever deeper, in hopes for just a chance at justice for his maiden. Thank you for this video, this really opened my mind for interpreting phantoms as echoes of people, rather than actual encounters.
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Just brought 2 posters!! Thanks for the discount
I wish more TH-cam creators would promote things like this instead of the same few mobile games. Thanks for sharing!
I always made connections to Elden ring , ds3 and bloodborne
Miss chalice, your voice and essence make me feel like you value the golden rule and being treated equally but fairly. Your necklace makes me wonder if you also at times want to be someone kitty, or pet. 😜
@miss_chalice I love you voice....
My interpretation of it is that Bernahl saw us in this place from the duo fight and knew what we were doing having gone down this road and coming up short. He's full of honor and may have thought we could not have beaten Maliketh without the stone he had. His journey failed and so to see if we were ready to finish what he couldn't he fights us in the way a recusant does by invading. This invasion is a test to make sure we can finish his fight and succeed where he failed. In doing that it carries his hope and blessing with us into the rest of our rebellion against the tree.
Excellent perspective.
That’s an extremely charitable view, for someone that murders for fun and power.
This was my take as I was watching as well--however, if he wanted us to succeed, why not just cooperate with us in the Maliketh fight, thereby doubling the chance of his mission's success?
It's a bit of a rhetorical question, because who ever knows with Fromsoft? But it's odd to me that Bernahl helps against the Godskins, whom he has no personal connection with, rather than helping with Maliketh--whom he has lore-driven motivations to fight. After all, I don't think he's as much concerned about your own success as he is with the fulfillment of his "brother's" will, a goal with which you are both aligned.
I like this interpretation. It fits very well with the code and when Bernahl says "The strong take." He took the stone, then we took it from him.
@@ReturnoftheLightningthat’s the general motivation for Recusants but Bernahl specifically has a grudge against the Erdtree so his motivation isn’t power for powers sake and given how he talks about the act of killing other Tarnished I don’t think he’s doing it for fun.
My theory on why Bernahl invades you is quite simple, he does it because it is the final and ultimate expression of the Recusant code. The strong devour, the weak are subsumed into the strong. As the last two Recusants, one of you will face Maliketh, the other will be "devoured" and their stuff taken by the victor. This is notable throughout the questline, you don't just kill your targets, you loot them, adding their strength to yours, and the key item he carries is no exception. Devouring them like the serpent. Great video, I absolutely subscribe to Rykard ideologically being our "brother" because it fits the whole thing Rykard has of his devoured champions being his family, and thus when we beat him, didn't he become our family too?
It's interestiing that the Tarnished vying to become Elden Lord aren't so different. At the end of the day, there can be only one Elden Lord, a state of affairs that implies conflict between the candidates. The Recusants aren't so much the opposite of the Tarnished seeking to become Elden Lord, but their mirror image. That explains also how Rykard was able to slip so easily from Inquisitor of the Golden Order to Blasphemer-in-Chief - at the end of the day, both positions he occupies aren't so different.
I always liked Bernahl as a character and this deep dive makes me like him even more
He seems like such a noble badass knight
And going against the golden order is very based too
I didn't recognize Bernahl in the Volcano Manor. Until he finished the conversation with "Well, until we meet again." and I shit a brick.
Yeah, I know, right! I think it was him saying 'battle arts' quite distinctively that made me put two and two together hahah
You and Vaati are my go-to Elden Ring creators. You both have this calm & serene cadence to your voices. Your videos are informative and insightful, and borderline ASMR, lol.
For real, they’re my two favorite lore content creators for the same reason
Thank you so much :)
If @vaatividya had bolted ons I would have left my wife for him.
i rememver when vaati was just getting started, he used to get EVERYTHING wrong lol, how far he has come
True. Chalice and Vaati ALWAYS get me immersed in FromSoft's worlds no matter what they're talking about. Chalice's video about Gideon and Vaati's one abt the Ds3 bosses still send FKING shivers down my spine. I feel like I actually live in the damn Miyazakiverse 😂
Then there's Hawkshaw if ur feeling more unhinged than usual. That plot against the gods video felt like straight up drugs
Bernahl's zweihander is such a kingly relic, that it is the only weapon in the game to be used as an NPC. truly one of the legendary armaments. He leaves it on the chair to come thump you with that serpent-stick
you can buy AoW from his sword when volcano manor is finished. any other times a weapon is used as a vendor?
Not really lore connected, but I recently had an odd interaction with Bernahl that I thought I'd share here. During my last play through I had the thought, "What happens if you kill Rykard before speaking with anyone in Volcano Manor?" So I used the Abductor Virgin in Raya Lucaria to teleport me to Volcano Manor, used the safe jump off the cliff side, and fought my way to Rykard. Once Rykard was dead, and I finished off Tanith and her bodyguard who immediately show up on reload of the boss room, I made my way back to the Manor proper. Once I got there the only npc still hanging around was Diallos. Bernahl, Patches, and Rya were nowhere to be found. Upon revisiting the Warmaster's Shack there was an item to pick up that contained all of Bernahl's gear, and his store bell bearing. But Bernahl himself was gone.
This also continued when I got to the Godskin Duo. Bernahl's summon sign was completely gone. However, his invading phantom still exists, and will still drop the Blasphemous Claw.
Again, probably not lore connected, but I kind of like the head cannon that without the Manor to give him some kind of purpose he just kind of gives up and leaves.
also he leaves his zwei on the chair where hes sitting in the manor
Very cool brother!
Bernahl is a character who's quest and lore has always kinda confused me but after this video I feel like a lot has been cleared up! I never realized how in depth his quest was. I think for me I like a combination of both interpretations, he started out as a loyal soldier on his way to become Lord but became bitter and resentful when he realized what he would have to do to become Lord. Lovely video Chalice I love your Elden Ring content 😄
Thank you so much! It's really satisfying to hear that I can convey my thoughts well enough to clarify or change the perspectives of others. Making thought-provoking stuff is my passion and I'm glad you enjoy it :)
I second this take, as it would explain why Bernahl would have the insight and compassion for someone who at first answers "my faith holds firm" yet still ends up at the volcano manor. It takes one to know one kinda thing.
Bernahl was actually one of my favourite characters from my first playthrough, since i met him and he sold me ashes of war, to the end when he dropped an object that can block destined death, badass character, but so little said of him, i appreciate the video haha
My favorite character is Fia.
Why the "haha"?
He’s basically the only person in all the lands between who still knows wind magic
bernahl’s maiden failed to become kindling because she misunderstood what it meant to burn, and first tried to burn herself with simple fire, then the various flames of the lands between, but what melina had that bernahl’s maiden didnt was the knowledge of melina’s mother/sister marika, that the flame needed is twofold and both flames are hidden away, one on the mountaintops of the giants, and one outside time in farum azula
And one buried deep underground
I like to think that Bernahl fighting you before Maliketh's fight is a test for your strength and capability to retrieve the rune of death. He knows you are strong, you killed Rykard and many powerful tarnished before... but powerful enough to kill him and complete the quest? He had to test it and see with his own eyes.
Yeah-I agree with this read.
He values his own power and strives to improve it to take on the greater will himself. He sees you’re doing the same. He intends to either defeat you and usurp your destiny, going on to defeat Maliketh himself with everything he has and everything you have, or end up being defeated by you, to go on to defeat Maliketh yourself.
I had no idea how much depth he had. Just like the Goldmask and Iji videos, I'm learning SO much on this channel. Great video.
Bernhal's maiden deserves a massive hug.
And a lot of skin grafts.
The fact that he is in Azula means his maiden did succeed and he was sent to Azula, this also explains why the maiden part was cut from the final version. But realizing what has happened he probably didn't proceed. I always thought if a summon sign appears it means the NPC has come there and left the sign to help others so yes Bernahl was here. Since the Bernahl who invades us has the claw, it suggests he was part of Volcano manor and met Rykard. But we will have to speculate his reason for invading us. (He seemed composed about carrying on his brother's will)
Yes! Ugh, I'm so glad that you're covering Bernahl. I loved his quest, and I'm excited to watch this video and learn even more about him!
Excellent video, as always!
Okay so here's how I'm putting all this together in my head, lol.
-Bernahl was once a devout follower of the Golden Order and perhaps wanted to be Elden Lord.
-He had a maiden, probably figured out that the Tree needed to be burned, but failed.
-Disheartened and feeling rejected, he turned to Volcano Manor and becomes a Recusant (the addition of his helmet and new weapon reflects this change in direction).
-We summon him to Farum Azula and he figures out that we were the ones who were able to burn the tree.
-After returning home, he then invades us... for whatever reason. I can't help but remember his code, "The strong take.". Perhaps his reasoning for killing his own kind was to test them. If they can be beaten by him, someone who failed to take the throne, then they aren't worthy of it. Or even worse yet, he intended to find a tarnished who has progressed farther than he could... and simply replace them. To take their place on the path towards Elden Lord and kill Maliketh for himself. From honorable knight to usurper... maybe because he thought the Golden Order was flawed from the very beginning... but still had faith in the Greater Will.
I'm probably very wrong about a lot of things but I think it's an interesting angle to the story. ^_^
its also possible that he meant to give you the stone but needed to affirm through combat that you were worthy of having it. he did mention that the strong take, such is our code so maybe his challenging you was a way to tell you if you want this take it. another great video!
that scene with zaraki is one of my favorites in the whole series. so glad you mentioned it
A man driven by faith and honor, who realizes that his faith is nothing more than false hope and manipulation from the two fingers. A man whose honor transcends his life as a recuscant. A Tarnished who should have become elden lord.
To me, he smacks of "Wanting to believe but doesn't/can't," which is a very tragic and painful place to be in. I think he wants to believe in the Golden Order and the Two Fingers but seeing his Maiden burned for nothing bred so much bitterness and resentment he couldn't do it anymore. I think this cuz of how pleased he seems in your faith and how upset he seems when he sees you at the Volcano Manor.
You will never understand how much a appreciate these videos/
Maxing out levels in Darksouls is the main reason.
Great video, an amazing chest of knowledge I'm happy to have opened.
we see what you did there, you ain't fooling no one
Dude this was a masterclass on character lore videos. I loved how you gradually introduced elements of his story character and inspiration and finally the conclusion to his story. I had missed the majority of his quest so I was mainly unaware of all this. Suffice it to say my jaw dropped at the Farum Azula incident and you introduced it so well, I was engaged 100% of the time.
Great presentation and narration, keep up the good work!
Also it was great how you referenced the previous dialogue choices effects on later dialogues. Very helpful for those of us who have missed most of these interactions
Could Bernahl's brother be the unnamed Gelmir Hero? The ghost who asks you to slay Rykard and gives you the "my thanks" gesture upon success? He's right outside of the room Bernahl waits in at the Manor, as though he's waiting for someone who can kill Rykard to pass by. He's also the one that leaves the Serpent Hunter in Rykard's arena, which means he almost certainly died to Rykard himself. Bernahl is aware of what happens to Recusants who audience with Rykard, likely because he's witnessed his brother die in such a way. Perhaps that's why he's so quick to brush off Rykard's death and set his sights on the Greater Will instead.
This makes a lot of sense as to why someone who would seemingly want to oppose Volcano Manor would join. His brother probably originally served under Rykard (he wears the Gelmir Knight set and basically says that Rykard used to be a noble and worthy candidate to be Elden Lord and sever the connection between the Greater Will and the Lands Between) and has to watch everything go to shit because of cannibalism and snakes before he gets devoured by Rykard. After his death, Bernahl joins the Volcano Manor to continue Ghosty-Boy's original goal. B is shocked to see you at the manor because he never expected another "honorable" Tarnished to join, especially because he may have been fond of you. The "nostalgia" line he has earlier directly reminds me of an old warrior remembering the days when he was young and naive. He may view himself as less than honorable for joining and simply accepts the reality that he's no longer a part of the Golden Order he once held so highly, despite now viewing it as a major force of oppression. When you join, despite his warnings, he accepts you as a Recusant very quickly because he is in the same basic position. Even ignoring his own Finger Maiden, it also explains how Bernahl knows that "gaining an audience with Rykard" isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Listening to your seamless transition into displate, and your sweet presenting voice, it makes me realize more and more how much of a master of your craft you are.
Simp
Great video!🎉 Bernhal already had the serpent scepter if you kill him in Limgrave, so he’s already under the service of Rykard. I think he’s in Limgrave to hunt for tarnished, and we are lucky he liked us. He also has the amulet that wards off Maliketh’s power, which was given to him by Rykard.🎉l😢
Bernahl and the Warmaster's shack in Limgrave are both next to your first contract's target. It's possible he was there looking for Old Knight Istivan, or locating him for your eventual contract
Yeah we all watched the video buddy.
@@alexbarn3841cry
Never thought it went that deep with him, always thought he was just another follower of rykard. Amazing work as always!!
I love coming home from work and seeing a new chalice notification! I could listen to her silky smooth auritory voice all day! You do such a good job creating these video essays and i cant wait for more! Miss chalice the muse of the erdtree!
You're such a good writer and speaker. I usually dont get too involved in lore but recently I've been using your videos to sleep and it made me start playing elden ring again
As someone who has done HEMA, I can confirm that two-handing gives you better handling of your weapon. Thanks for mentioning that detail, Chalice. I didn’t notice that.
lol
Ah, a fellow hema friend
Ok then let me ask you a question, if u have a arming sword, would it still help to use Ur left hand even if it just holds the pommel?
@@We3dCraftLP Probably not but half swording or the mordhau are two handed techniques you could do with a onehanded sword
Nobody asked
I've seen others talk about Bernahl's invasion, about him living up to the code of the Recusant and testing you, and I am of the same opinion.
However, one thing I didn't see mentioned is that I think he invades you not only to test you but also because that is the only way to pass an item onto you.
Of course, player summons can willingly drop items for you as a mechanic but no NPC can do this. Maybe the reason he invades you is simply because, according to the laws that bind him (as an NPC summon) he has no other way to pass the Fragment of the Black Blade to you.
One could argue he could have simply handed it to you in Volcano Manor but if we treat Farrum Azula as a place that is seperate from our reality (and time), then an invasion/summoning is the only way to reach you now.
So yea, in my opinion, not only is he living up to his code as a Recusant of the Strong devouring the Weak, his primary objective here is to help out a brother in the only way he is able to.
Great video by the way, I absolutely love the way you present (your) theories and the calm sound of your voice. It reminds me a lot of a Firekeeper. Keep it up! :)
Edit for clarification: The reason why I focus so much on the in game mechanic of obtaining an item is because it's something FromSoft has done in the past as well. One of the biggest examples is the beginning cutscene in the Undead Asylum of DkS. When Oscar frees you from your cell, he does it by dropping a corpse into it that you then loot for the key to said cell. Why doesn't he just drop you the key itself but an entire corpse there? In my perspective it is because items in FromSoft's games are bound to their owner's corporeal form, even if they are already dead. Every item you loot either comes from a chest (where one could argue that the item's owner has transferred ownership of the item to the object (chest)) or a corpse with the only exception being item drops from enemies who don't leave a corpse and instead vanish after death (where I would argue them vanishing is simply a performance optimization).
On the other hand, I can't remember any summoned NPC ever giving you an item. The only exceptions might be getting a gesture from some DkS3 NPCs (which I would argue you just learn by observing). Please correct me if I'm failing to remember one here, I'm genuinely curious.
So yea, I'm absolutely 110% sure that Bernahl is literally adhering to the game's logic of item transfer by NPC's here.
This is one of my favorite Elden Ring lore videos. I never thought too deeply on Bernahl's character but there is so much to unpack. I especially love that detail of Melina putting you to sleep which I didn't think much of at first. Please keep these videos coming
The lore in this game always surprises me, I had never thought about Bernahl's story while playing it, maybe because we find him so far apart in our own journey. As always, great video. You have such a beautiful way to tell these stories.
That was a very informative and well put together lord video. Never would have expected him to have such a deep backstory. it’s always fun to find the more down low lore of characters
Wow, the part where you describe the story comes full circle, really got me. What an amazing writing, man...
i feel like the leaving of the zweihander at the manor is him leaving behind honour in order to double down on the serpent path. killing anyone weaker than him and feeding them to the serpent wich would now be tanith after she eats rykard. when he helps you kill the god skins its just so he can kill you later and absorb your strength (when he invades).
I absolutely adore how you breakdown the lore of ER. I love the game and lore to begin with but as you explain it i find it soothing. Your voice is super gentle and calming, it turns a world of chaos as presented in ER to something else entirely.
I love your videos they are so calm and you can tell you love the game’s characters even if the stories are experienced in such a subtle way. Keep up the great stuff :3
I've been watching your videos while going back home from parties on foot for the past monthes , the vibe has yet never been matched
What an incredibly peaceful and thoughtful piece of content. Definitely going to listen to a lot more.
It's always a pleasure to binge VaatiVidya's videos, just as I will do now with these.
Great lore, great narration and an absolute smoke show.
I have no neighbors and an Akai sound system, your videos are the only time I crank out my Razer Nari. 👌
Unexpected Bleach
I love your content miss chalice, you and vaati vidya are my go to for all lore - thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Great video as always!
Agree there's not much to connect Bernahl to Rykard as his biological brother: he's doesn't have the R in his name, and he doesn't have the red hair of Radagon. He could be Tanith's brother, but we don't get any text saying he's from a foreign land.
The fourth bassinet is a weak theory as well, the fourth child could be the one in the Great Rune of The Unborn.
There's a note in the wiki that if you don't talk to him at the manor (reveal that he's a recusant and finish his dialog) he doesn't invade you at Farum Azula, so it does seem like his dialogue and his possession of the Claw (Which he only gets after Rykard dies, I'm thinking?) Implies that he thinks that there "can only be one" and HE wants to be the one that get the Rune of Death and fells the Greater Will, he certainly has the motive, as well as the overall nihilistic philosophy
He is Tarnished, and he's a Knight (of what?) , as well as a BEAST champion, so that puts him a bit closer to Hoarah Loux. He does have extraordinary Strength as indicated by the text in the Zwiehander.
The weird part is that the Devourer's Scepter is one of the Legendary Armaments, meaning the Recusant Faction had two all along.
This one hit a little close to home. Thank you for the heads up by the way. Still working on the game and haven't gotten that fare yet but your veiw point oh him gives me a new found respect for him and my heart goes out for him. THANK YOU.
Your voice is like actually perfect for these kinds of Lore explaining videos.
While I was watching this, I was exploring Leyndell... And I've just found a Bloodsoaked Mask near the Underground Roadside in Leyndell, it looked just like her headgear only with blood on it. Then I tried searching the full set and found out that the attire can be looted in the Forbidden Lands site of grace, the attire looks different (especially the color) but there's some resemblance. This MIGHT be connected to the cut content by her trying to find the proper(?) flame and so she literally tried both the giants' flame and the frenzied flame.......... if so... damn.
But I do think that they somewhat changed the story a bit on this. She most likely focused on the frenzied flame, instead of the giant's flame, based on the fact that the attire had no blood at all, while the mask and gloves were bloodied. This might mean that she either went mad from the frenzied flame and/or died while engulfing herself with the actual frenzied flame...?
Thought, the item descriptions don't really say much, but with the information about the cut content NPC, Fromsoft might have just added the set for some reason (to not waste the effort on designing the set maybe?).
Also, about Bernahl's invasion. I kinda feel like it's his last test to see if you're ready to face a formidable opponent, just basing this on his personality where he somewhat treats comradery as special. And him acknowledging you as his comrade (probably the ONLY one left), he wanted to provide you one last help.
Him not talking/saying anything might be because he wanted solid proof. To see if you still had the will to kill your fellows, even if the manor is gone, and won't let anybody hinder you from achieving your goals. And when you die every time you fight him, it just means you're not ready yet and would require more power. And the moment you kill him, he would be more than happy knowing he is entrusting everything to a worthy and strong comrade, thus you obtaining OR him giving you the Blasphemy Claw.
OR, the most straightforward reason: you die (permanently) he proceeds, he dies you proceed... though I prefer the former. nyehehehe :3
i love your deep dives so much it really makes me fall in love with this game over and over.
i think bernahl and the invasion are the same person. i think invasions are like "force ghosts", a projection of the person's consciousness that takes physical form for a very short time. i think that farum azula becomes accessible to /all/ after the erdtree is set ablaze, which would explain how bernahl got there to begin with. after rykard's death he says to you "the strong take, that is our code", which leads me to believe that him facing you in farum is actually an act of /respect/. he acknowledges your power, he respects your ambition and he wants to honor you with a death fitting for a recusant. a death, at tarnished hands. he fights you so he can take what you have. the greatrunes. and he keeps the stone with him so he can face the black blade right after, empowered by multiple great runes. his fighting you there is, to him, a passing of the torch. he wants to take from you with strength. the "right" way according to recusant code. and he will honor you by using that power to destroy the golden order/greater will whatever it is hes trying to kill. that last fight is a celebration of your friendship. it is a final ecstatic dance before an inevitable parting of ways. its the only way two people who walk the recusant's path could ever truly say goodbye. he doesnt speak because there is nothing left to say. just one last hurrah before the curtain falls, and one of you keeps walking the path, while the other haunts the steps.
I think adding the context that Bernahl is a recusant the very first time you meet him is very interesting. This means he couldve easily killed you at the start of your journey and had motivation to, but chose to spare you. Perhaps because he sensed something in you that reminded him of himself at one time?
I've always loved the interactions with Bernahl during all my playthroughs in which I join the Volcano Manor. He's such an interesting one, and I'd been contemplating his invasion upon the player for a while. I really like the idea that Bernahl is still just living on somewhere, perhaps having settled down and found a new, happy way to live, in a world of peace under the player as Elden Lord.
Omg I’m in tears! Hearing Bernhal’s Maiden’s dialogue is soo heartbreaking ❤️🩹
I always stunned by how much I have missed when I watch your videos! Thanks for another beautiful story ❤️
Having only ever visited the war master's shack once, I never even realised that guy was the same Bernahl I met in Volcano Manor and later fought. Thank you for another awesome video!
Anyone other than me seeing it as Miquellas cuccoon that the snake is trying to devour on the devourers scepter, and when Miss chalice said "devour the world" it connects beautifully into the theory of Miquella dreaming up the entire world or otherwise... And also the nod at Jormungandr from old norse beliefs.
Another informative and fun lore video, thanks Chalice!
Thank you for this video, been looking for a lore video about Bernahl for a while, he is my favorite NPC, keep up the amazing work!
I have done his quest like once, i loved it but my god his armor is too good and cool looking for me to not inmediately zoop him out of existence
Love the video Chalice
I am constantly amazed how much I still have to learn about elden ring despite hundreds of hours of gameplay and endless lore videos!! you've become one of my favorite youtubers, keep up the awesome work!
this zoom in 20:45 absolutely made me giggle, was such a good touch lol
omg i never knew any of that about the blasphemous claw!
whoaaaa Bernahl's maiden what a cool thing to uncover here.
Another exceptional and fascinating video. thank you for this time well spent!
Due to work I've been watching less youtube and my recommended has been pretty dry. Even tho I'm subbed to a bunch of channels I never seem to get the videos on my feed. Glad that this video showed up :) I got 2 more (previous ones) to view after this one. Good way to spend my friday night imo :D. Glad to see ur still making videos, its always a pleasure to watch them!
Finally getting around to watching this one.
I'm so elated for a new video. That voice is like a lulling coo while retreading the deep lore. Always thrilled for more.
I know my previous comments said I was done til the next chapter but, I can't help but feel Midra has a similar line of Lore to Bernahl. So many chapters of lore for our Lady Chalice to teach us upon. (I love the dramatic tone of cinema & the purity of the theater, it helps keep the verbiage of our character)
You mentioning my fav character of all time Cloud at the beginning is kinda awesome
I would pay for Final Fantasy Lore videos fr
Another fantastic deep dive from my favourite asmr/lore channel. I've done everything associated with Bernahl but didn't know half of this. I wish they had left his maiden in the game, that adds so much depth.
i love the research and analysis. I seriously can't follow the lore of the game without this type of content! Thank you!
Great to see you back Chalice! Really enjoyed this one and had no idea of the depth of Bernahl's story. Thank you!
The levels of interpretation in this game is astounding. There’s a million ways to piece the puzzle of Elden Ring together but I have to say the level your videos does it is top tier. This game gets ya thinking. 🤔
Obviously you were explaining the Zweihander based on the game, but i just want to note that while it was heavier than other swords, you can easily maneuver with it. It was by no means as heavy as it is portrayed ingame.
Love your videos! I always found it interesting that Ranni “rewarded” the Blasphemous Claw. Assuming the translation holds, it makes me wonder what deed Rykard performed for Ranni in order to be “rewarded” with the claw…
Helped her with the Night of the Black Knives. May be something about the stolen fragment of Destined Death as receiving the claw means a protection from Maliketh.
Bernahl is one of my favorite characters in Elden Ring. Super glad you made this video.
Omg the way she says “tangents” is so cute! Why is it so cute?!
❤ chalice I have a 100 percent play through and I still learn from your videos. I probably won’t play the game again until dlc comes out because I spent so much time in it when it came out, but I look forward to your videos after the dlc.
Fantastic lore video for this guy. I had no idea about the lost maiden part. Thank goodness for the cut content miners, and thank goodness for you. Welcome back!
Oh boy! I love when I get surprised with a Chalice, Elden Ring video ❤
13:05 rather than just the Hunters, the Recusants more akin to the Cainhurst Hunters.
Think about it: they both serve a lady consort of a noble, they are both considered blasphemous by the ruling clergy/order and the Cainhurts Hunters are specialized in hunting other Hunters rather than beasts, like the Recusants hunting other Tarnished.
I always interpreted his invasion in farum azula as him clearing the way for you, and giving you a final test to make sure that you are the one that will defeat malekith and take down the greater will. When you get close to the area where he invades, you begin to see dozens of dead beastmen. The closer you get to the end of that bridge, the more bodies there are. I like to think of the fight as the teacher passing the torch to the student, giving you the clawmark seal when you defeat him to help you finish what he could not.
Finally, been looking and waiting for a lore on this guy, his my favorite npc through the game, especially when I realized he was a actually a recusant when I first played the game..
have no idea who bernhahl is. was looking for marika lore. watched like this whole video just because i loved your voice 😭
Cool video (I should really continue playing Elden Ring)! As a Monster Hunter enjoyer, the reference almost made me spit my tea, I wasn't prepared.
Thank you for reminding me of the amazing spectacle it was to see Kenpachi utilizing his true shikai: a two-handed swing
Bernahl is my favorite NPC, the duel is amazing and the 2v2 invasion was amazing. The blasphemous claw was very useful, and I find it strange that he had it, he must've taken it from Rykard's bedroom or something haha. He is an extremely well written, and tragic character. Yet an honorable and powerful friend until the end.
Bernahl is one of my favorite NPCs and I really didnt think he was gonna get this shine. I'm here for it.
I love the fact that he stood by hss code until the end. "I can't do this, but this damned Tarnished may very well be able to. Should I help? Only once for old times sake, but after they 100% will end me, and I want it to be such. The Item from Rykard might just be imperative to their quest. So I am glad to be "devoured by them", my strength added onto theirs."
whoever thought of hiding bernahl's true helmet and serpent mace thing until later on deserves praise. his vibe completely changes with these differences,,
Ima be honest I didn't pay attention to this guy so I didn't realize he was the same dude at the manor until this video. nor did I know you could fight him, that's why I enjoy these videos
I think it’s said a lot how big Elden Ring’s world is, but it isn’t always appreciated. I played a full Ranni loyalist on my first playthrough, so i didn’t interact with the other factions much. To me, Bernal was just holding the blasphemous claw, which I needed to kill Maliketh. I never even talked to him in Limgrave. So crazy that this character I barely even knew existed had such an insanely well crafted story, thanks for covering it!
I'm glad TH-cam finally saw fit to recommend your channel to me. Great video!
Awesome video as alaways Miss Chalice! I didnt do the Volcano Manor stuff so I didn't realize there was so much to Bernahl, but I like the idea thats he's just very hurt and broken
When I spoke to Bernahl after killing Rykard & heard his declaration of war on the Erdtree, my interpretation was that he ment just what he said; he was going to fight & kill the Erdtree. I thought he ment all bets are off from here on out. If it's convenient for him, he'll help you, but he has no more intention of looking out for you or holding back against you. Against the Godskin duo, he knew he'd have to fight them eventually, so might as well do it with an ally. After that though, he knows you want destined death & can't let you claim it. He'd need it to bring death to the Erdtree & the golden order, the fact he has Rykard's blasphemous claw on him proves he was intent of fighting Maliketh.
At least that's my reading, thank you for bringing all this information to light, it was a joy to watch
Interested by thumbnail
Stunned by beauty
Stayed for lore
Subscribed for ASMR
Amazing video there was so much to Bernahl I didn't expect!
Interesting that the two NPCs we meet in Farum Azula are both allies we met at the start of the game. We actually meet Bernahl just up the road from Alexander in Limgrave. I wonder if their journeys were meant to parrelel eachother in a way.
I really like Bernahl as a character with sudden turns, i also love his armor(aspesially with the cape).
I hope he lives on somewhere in his world as the Lord of Beast, because man i first tried Malekith on my first playthrough without even using my brain somehow and fought tooth and nail agains Bernahl.
While I honor him wearing his Armor as Rannis Champion completing the Revolution agianst the Golden Order, he was a great Mentor in the Arts of War.
May the Beast's roar his name. For our Brother.
For Bernahl!!!
I loved the random Bleach reference. Yes, two hands do make a difference xD
Great work as always! I went down a little bit of a rabbit hole after watching this as Bernahl's maiden and Caelid also reminded me of another famous maiden of that Smoldering Church... Anastasia! I wonder if they are linked or if the encounter was repurposed? It always struck me as strange as she didn't seem to fit the mould of a Recusant or Mohg Dynasty invader
I looked to see if there were any other connections. While her locations are quite wide spread she is also encountered in a shack at the foot of Gelmir. The Shack contains the spell "Golden Vow" which has an ash of war version that I think Bernahl used a lot in his shack encounter in your footage.
On her not being bandaged as Anastasia, she also drops a Sacred Scorpion talisman, which depicts a scorpion shedding it's skin and seizing a glowing heart. Maybe related to her shedding her old skin for a new one somehow?
Some pseudo theories - Maybe she is consuming tarnished in order to become worthy kindling for Bernahl (winning back his heart)? Maybe consuming as an act of rebellion? Or maybe Bernahl fell to despair after being catfished by a cannibal
WOW great content , thanks for the insight on Bernahl
I think Bernahl began as a faithful knight of the Leyndell; he traveled far on his road to become an Elden Lord, but then his maiden burned herself. This event broke something within him and though he harbors no ill-will towards you, his anguish manifested a confused specter which paradoxically both wished to fulfill it's duty to the Greater Will, but also lost it's aim towards this task and began venting it's rage at the unfairness of his maiden's fate. This is what we see happening in Farum Azula; Bernahl's conflicted spirit of the past both helping you, and attacking you.
The Bernahl we see today (or at at the Warmaster's Shack earliest) is mellowed out man; his rage has burned to cinders, no uncontrollable inferno, but still hot to touch. He hates what he and his maiden had to suffer for the Greater Will and he would destroy it... but he didn't hate it all. He has nostalgia for his knighthood and he doesn't want to ruin that chance of valor for others. He knows he is tainted by his hatred, but he doesn't think others need to become like himself, though he won't stop you, or judge you if you come to same conclusions as he did.
A sad, yet noble man, fallen to lows even he himself realizes, yet who chooses to plunge ever deeper, in hopes for just a chance at justice for his maiden.
Thank you for this video, this really opened my mind for interpreting phantoms as echoes of people, rather than actual encounters.
Long video hype!