George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firenovels often deal with the subject of royal lineage and bloodlines. In fact, the overarching narrative revolves around the debate of who should be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. It seems that these themes were once more readily apparent inElden Ring, as a dataminer has found evidence to suggest that there may have been a point where players could choose the next ruler ofLimgrave.This article will have SPOILERSforElden Ring, so proceed with caution.
One of the first major bosses thatElden Ringplayers encounter is Godrick the Grafted, the ruler of Limgrave who lives in Stormveil Castle. Kenneth Haight, who rules Fort Haight, is apparently one of Godrick’s heirs, but would rather stay at his fort. The other person with a claim to the throne is Nepheli Loux, a warrior who is believed to be the daughter of Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, also known as Hoarah Loux, one of the last bosses in the entire game.
RELATED:Elden Ring Player Turns Game Art Into Animated Wallpaper
A new video uploaded by Zullie the Witch showcases dialogue that was cut fromElden Ringthat suggests there may have been a third character with a claim to the throne. At one point,Elden Ringincluded dialogue for Gatekeeper Gostoc, where he claims to be Godrick’s son. Zullie the Witch theorizes that the questline surrounding Godrick’s true heir likely would have ended withElden Ringplayers choosing whether to give the honors to Gatekeeper Gostoc orNepheli Loux, but those plans were apparently scrapped before launch.
This questline is one that was given new phases in anElden Ringupdate. After the update, Kenneth Haight, Nepheli Loux, and Gatekeeper Gostoc all appear in the Stormveil Castle throne room. However, players still aren’t given a choice as to whom they would like to be named the heir of Limgrave andStormveil Castle.
If FromSoftware had givenElden Ringplayers a choice, it seems unlikely that many would choose Gatekeeper Gostoc over Nepheli Loux. Nepheli Loux aidsElden Ringplayers in fighting various bosses in the game, whereas Gatekeeper Gostoc is antagonistic. While he presents himself as friendly,Gostoc steals runes fromElden Ringplayersand traps them in a room with a tough enemy. Considering this, it’s hard to see why anyone would choose to side with him over Nepheli.
It’s possible that this questline will be further expanded in futureElden Ringupdates or maybe even as part of a DLC expansion, but fans shouldn’t hold their breath. FromSoftware has made no official announcements about anyElden RingDLC expansionsor future updates, so it’s best to keep one’s expectations in check.
Elden Ringis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
