The Dark Moon

Hark, then, and look to the heavens, for we speak of the power behind the Dark Moon.

The Cosmic Watcher

The Dark Moon is an Outer God whose presence has been felt in the Lands Between since before the Golden Order. Unlike the passionate rage of the Frenzied Flame or the gross corruption of the Rot, this entity is characterized by cold, quiet constancy and an obsession with cosmic law and fate.

  • Its Domain: Knowledge, Lunar Fate, and the Dark Cosmos. It is the power that dictates the rigid, unmoving movement of the stars and the ebb and flow of fate, contrasting sharply with the fluid, earthly guidance of the Erdtree's Grace.

  • Its Influence: Its power is primarily channeled through the Carian Royal Family and the sorcerers of the Carian Academy. They are the students of the moon's light, which is seen as the true, eternal ruler of the night sky, far older than the Erdtree's golden glow.

The Lunar Princess

The Dark Moon’s most vital relationship is with Lunar Princess Ranni.

  • The Mentor: Ranni's entire magical lineage and philosophical bent stem from the Dark Moon. Her mentor, the Snow Witch Renna, taught her the secrets of the moon's cold sorcery.

  • The New Age: The Dark Moon is the engine of Ranni's ambition. By orchestrating the death of her flesh and freeing her spirit, Ranni positioned herself to escape the dictates of the Greater Will and the Two Fingers, who served the Erdtree's Sun. Her goal is to supplant the Golden Order with the Age of Stars—a thousand-year period where the Dark Moon reigns.

  • The Rule of the Stars: This Age would not be a tyranny of fire or blood, but a cold, distant sovereignty. Under the Dark Moon, the Elden Ring would be set free from the world, moving the concept of Order to the stars. This would allow the Lands Between to exist beneath a cold, dark sky, guided only by the silent will of the cosmos, rather than the meddling of a terrestrial god.

The Dark Moon represents a terrifying stillness. It is the fate written in the stars, unchangeable, unfeeling, and utterly free of the messiness of life. It offers not warmth, but the cold perfection of immutable, cosmic law.

Ranni embraced this cold freedom, seeking to rule a world that is distant, quiet, and eternally cold beneath the gaze of the Dark Moon.