The Two Fingers Were Created By Marika - Elden Ring Lore Theory

Personally, I like the idea that the fingers are the severed hands of the titans that built the divine towers, golems, buried pillars, and the forge of the giants.

When you said radagon was yet to become her meaning take over it clicked for me. That actually made a ton a sense

Watch it turn out that the greater will isn’t even real or at least not in the way we think. It doesn’t actually have a will. It is just a source of power that Marika figured out how to harness and manipulate and everything we know about the greater will is a lie

Bro has access to Hidetaka Miyazaki's Notes

Ive had the same thought myself after seeing marikas pose in the trailer(2 arms straight up). I think it makes a lot of thematic sense. Especially with the “birth of shadow” and the 2 fingers creating shadows.

I wouldn’t be surprise with the red hair and mesmer that radagon was the first and after getting the elden beast and creating the golden order then came marika. And melina says yet to become me.

I really like this idea! It makes a lot of stuff make more sense, I think the one thing that Marika didn't/couldn't plan around was Radagon. I think that was the one "victory" the Greater Will got over Marika. I also think the way Melina say "Warriors of my Lord. Lord Godfrey." To me implies that Marika was never cool with Radagon as Elden Lord or didn't respect him. I think that you're onto something, that there's a reason why Marika got along with Godfrey. She's about that war yo. I'm wondering if before Radagon was reborn/forgiven/liurnia'd he was manageable but somehow elevated himself in Liurnia.

The problem with this is that the Gloam Eyed Queen also had her own Two Fingers, as stated on the Black Flame Ritual description: "The Gloam-Eyed Queen led the apostles. It is said that she was an Empyrean chosen by the Fingers". So we know that the Two Fingers already existed and also the concept of Empyreans existed before Marika became a God/Vessel of the ER, since the Rune of Death was a requisite to creating the Golden Order and the beginning of her reign, she only obtained that after the GEQ was defeated, But who knows, the dlc trailer talks about a "seduction and betrayal" in the beggining, so maybe the Fingers could have been some kind of Trojan Horse given to the GEQ that caused her defeat, but I dont see how Marika could have the juice to create them before becoming a God, she didn't beat the GEQ herself she needed Maliketh for that. Interesting theory tho

So, I think it makes more sense for Radagon to be a condition of Godhood by the Golden Order. That fits her "fate" of becoming Radagon. But adds some context that I think explains it. My opinion has been for a while that Radagon was given to Marika by the Golden Order as an insurance policy on her actions. There was probably a mutual need. Marika needed them to become a God. And they needed her in order for them to be able to control the Lands Between. The Golden Order gave her support in the Shadow Realm's unsung war, while she merged with their "leal hound". Perhaps, Marika aims to divest herself from the lands between and become an Outer God herself. And she accepted Radagon, believing she can out smart an Outer God and become one. While the Golden Order believes it could use Marika to stake control.

Regardless of who created them, I think at this point, they might also be cut off from the Greater Will, or maybe even being manipulated by it. Melina says very early on that grace is the Elden Ring beckoning you to it. The killing of the Vassal Beast must be some sort of ritual, since even in the endings where you restore the ring within Marika, you HAVE to kill EB, and you also become the new Elden Lord (Like Godfrey and Radagon), you don't replace Marika as the new vessel. Coming back to my first point, after you get barred by the thorns, the Two Fingers have no idea what to do, and yet grace STILL keeps guiding you, through the Mountaintops, and maybe even Farum Azula (not 100% sure about this one). I think the Greater Will still uses the fingers as a way to "guide" and support tanished, but I wonder if your player character is actually an Empyrean or not. Also being an Empyrean was never super clear, it is described as both being chosen and being born as, and Iji says that Ranni was gonna follow the dark path of the Empyrean AFTER she supposedly gets rid of her Fingers, which I was thought as a mistake or mistranslation, but who knows what might drop in the DLC that could shine a light on that.

This was great! Fantastic video. Since this trailer came out I've been commenting everywhere that it's clearly Radagon that we see holding the glowing Strands in the air but I've gotten a bit of backlash over it. People are convinced by those bangles it HAS to be Marika. Deeply satisfying to see someone else think the same!

Your theory about Marika and Radagon is awesome, and totally fits.

I don't agree. The Two Fingers are way too critical of Marika's behavior, in my opinion. "Marika's trespass demanded a heavy sentence. But even in shackles, she remains a god, and the vision's vessel." Additionally, Marika clearly wants us to burn the Erdtree and kill her, as shown by giving Melina the quest to burn down the Erdtree and assigning Hewg the task of creating a weapon capable of killing a god, presumably herself. These are both things the Two Fingers clearly do not want, as Enia explains to us. My personal theory is that both the Two Fingers and the Three Fingers are compulsive liars and that there is no Greater Will to begin with. I think they invented a greater god to justify their existence and superior stance in society. In the case of the Three Fingers, they try to convince us that they have greater knowledge about the nature of the cosmos, but they are clearly just completely mad and want to burn down the entire world and kill everyone. There is no mention of the Greater Will by anyone except the Fingers and their priests. For being divine messengers of a greater god that supposedly knows everything, the Two Fingers and their prophecies are often wrong. They have no idea what's going on and all they want is to make sure the Elden Ring is repaired and that there is a strong protector, the Elden Lord, for the host of the Elden Ring. I am convinced they just made up the Greater Will entirely, and the only thing that really exists is the Elden Ring, which is just an extremely powerful star. When they commune with the Greater Will, they essentially just send a message to the place they or the Elden Ring came from like "Help guys we have a situation here".

I would agree except one thing: the two fingers are know and have religious institutions outside the lands between. Even Brother Cohryn comments about the two fingers prayerbook being heresy, before he ever knew about Marika and Radagon.

Not really a theory, just stuff out of my mind but i think the Two Fingers were definetely created by Marika, as 'helpers' or counselors that are able to actually contact the Greater Will, however she does not control them. And exactly as Varré says (Ironically or not) that they were 'corrupted' after the shattering, and then the only 2 alive (Ranni's and Roundtable's Fingers) becoming some sort of senile/demented beings that act like everything will be fine if some random Tarnished become Elden Lord just by entering the Tree, which in reality, they didn't even know that the Tree's door was sealed and they are not even aware of Radagon and Elden Beast's real intentions. Radagon clearly does not want another Elden Lord and the Elden Beast (The ring itself or at least it's avatar) does not want you there as it tries to kill you. If the Elden Beast's (Probably the closest creature to contact or actually know what the Greater Will wants) intentions were aligned with the fingers, it wouldn't try to kill you and would simply allow you to take the throne without even fighting. I believe the Fingers became some sort of 'stray dog' or something like that. They were created for a different purpose but after the shattering they became senile dogs with no master, telling delusional lies and 'hopeful' words to the tarnished in hope for them to fix what Marika shattered. Marika was punished by the Elden Beast/Radagon, the Greater Will might take thousands or millions of years to even respond or it simply abandoned the Lands just like the narrator said; "A war from which no lord arose, a war... leading to ABANDONMENT by the Greater Will". That's just something out of my head, don't take it too seriously ;) Edit: I was thinking about other things... What if the Three Fingers are actually just dead bodies of some Two Fingers that Marika created, but when the clan of the Merchants summoned it, the Frenzied Flame took over the corpse of one of these Two Fingers? The Frenzied Flame and it's followers seem to have this possessive powers over the dead just like Yura becoming Shabriri or Irina becoming Hyetta... The Two Fingers original purpose was to be some sort of 'walkie-talkie' between Marika and the Greater Will, so it was the perfect vessel and opportunity for the Frenzied Flame. it was just reused, right? About the Grace and Marika: What if Marika isn't even the one that gives grace to people? what if it's actually the Two Fingers? because it wouldn't make sense for us, Tarnished to go fight Radagon, the guy that is also the vessel of the Elden Ring, a God and shares the same powers with Marika, to simply allow us to keep the grace? why Radagon didn't simply removed our grace during the fight if Marika/Radagon were truly capable of doing it? If the Two Fingers are the real ones that gifts and takes back the grace of people, It would make sense for Marika to hide at least one of them inside the Roundtable, so it could continue to bestow the grace to our kind in a safe place, alongside with Hewg, who is also one of Marika's pawns to dethrone the Elden Beast/Radagon. Perhaps Marika thought of this from the very start and created this being capable of bestowing grace to the Tarnished and even granted safety for one of them so at least one could survive alongside Hewg and help us to defeat the Elden Beast/Radagon? What if Marika's 'Backup' plan was the Two Fingers of the Roundtable all along? I have no idea anymore about anything lol i going crazy at this point to be fair💀

For one thing the fingers “speak” for the greater will, but when Enia channels them, they actually give way and Marika herself speaks directly to Enia through the two fingers. In the round table hold. Now the RTH is not connected to the physical lands between and may itself be somehow more closely linked with the shandow lands

I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation to everyone who has watch, liked and commented on my first video. Going into this I had no idea the result would be this incredible! I will have another video coming out this week. Thank you all!

Love this. I have a theory that marika did nothing wrong and that radagon did all the tyranny and she was like "nah, chill" and then radagon and the greater will crucified her and pierced her womb so she couldnt birth more demigods. This theory plays in perfectly

I am of the belief that the Two Fingers are actually limbs of the Erdtree similar to the ends of roots. When Godwyn’s deathblight began infecting the roots the Erdtree and the various Fingers were severed from the blighted roots and each other. I view Great Runes as entities with Will but not agency. Great runes seem to be made of people’s souls (Dung Eater, Goldmask, Fia/Godwyn) and the effects of the rune’s power reflects the maker. The Elden Ring is many Great Runes bound to the Elden Beast. The Elden Beast suppresses the wills in the other runes and is thus, the Greater Will. Our Two Fingers, disconnected from the Erdtree, has no means of making contact with the Elden Beast. It sends us to reconnect and to heal the Elden Beast. It is shocked by the thorns and Radagon’s seal because that meant Radagon was preventing aid from reaching the Elden Beast. The Fingers, as everyone else does, incorrectly assumed Radagon truly supports the Elden Beast and the Golden Order. But there Radagon is, forcing us to burn down the Erdtree and make possible the death of the Elden Beast before he will open the door. Such a long deception, the risk of failure dictates a need for misdirection. On the off chance that a supporter of the Golden Order would think to burn the holiest of holies to aid the Elden Beast, Radagon immediately attacks us. This creates the perception that we are an enemy, in the eyes of the Elden Beast. Further, if we can’t kill Radagon we certainly cannot kill the Elden Beast. He cannot risk this very long plan failing. Also, it seems like the Divine Towers seem to be draining the light and shadow magic from the Two Fingers atop them.

This is a very interesting theory, and it does help to make some other things make more sense. Good job, I like this thought process here, and I am interested to see how it all plays out in the dlc. I am so PUMPED!