Godfrey, First Elden Lord

Hark, thou curious one. Thou dost inquire about me? I am Godfrey, the First Elden Lord! I was the consort to Queen Marika, the conqueror of the Lands Between, and the mighty general who established the Golden Order!

Before I was cloaked in gold, I was Hoarah Loux, a chieftain of men, a savage warrior whose spirit rejoiced in the clash of steel and the thunder of battle. Marika chose me for my strength and my boundless zeal in conquest.

The Wars of Unification

My life was dedicated to war, all in the service of cementing Queen Marika’s rule and the new Golden Order. These were the campaigns that forged the very framework of the Lands Between:

1. The War Against the Giants

This was the greatest threat, the foe who could not be suffered to exist. The Fire Giants were primal beasts who worshipped the destructive Fell God—a being of eternal, chaotic flame. Their power was antithetical to the life-giving gold of the Erdtree.

  • The Campaign: I led our armies into the frozen Mountaintops of the Giants. The campaign was a bitter, grinding struggle against overwhelming heat and monstrous strength.

  • My Deed: I personally met the chieftain of the Giants in single combat. It was a duel of absolute power—his primal flame against the Grace that flowed through me. I shattered him! I broke his will, ensured the extinction of his tribe, and bound the terrible, forbidden flame, placing the last Giant under a curse to forever stoke the fire that had devoured his people.

2. The Final Conflicts

With the Giants defeated, the remaining battles were skirmishes of suppression, ensuring that Marika's word was law:

  • The Storm King: My most famous victory of this era was against the monstrous Storm King who ruled an ancient, forgotten land. Though I claimed victory and laid waste to his kingdom, the battle was so intense that my spirit grew too accustomed to the bloodlust.

  • The Dragons: We fought the remnants of the ancient dragon civilization, breaking their dominion over the skies and bending their might to the service of the Golden Order.

The Exile and the Beast

The moment all foes were defeated, the battles ended. And that, warrior, was the beginning of my end.

My life was defined by glorious conflict. When peace arrived, Queen Marika stripped me of my Grace. I was no longer needed as a conqueror, for there was nothing left to conquer. The Golden Order demanded stillness, and stillness was poison to my savage heart.

  • The Beast: When I stood before Marika, there was a great beast upon my back—Serosh, the regal lion. Serosh was my curb, given by the Queen to bind and temper my ferocious rage, my inner Hoarah Loux.

  • The Banishing: Marika commanded me to cast aside my beast and leave the Lands Between. I was cast out, along with my retinue, to wander the outside world. We were the first Tarnished, destined to fight and die in foreign lands, until the time was right for our return.

My strength was my curse. I fought to establish an Order that ultimately had no place for me. I am a warrior exiled by the very peace I created. Now, I have returned to fight once more, for without a war, what is a warrior?

Tell me, Tarnished, what wars have you fought to earn the Grace that now guides you?