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The Tarnished were banished from the Lands Between long before the events of Elden Ring, and we play as one of the returning Tarnished who is drawn home by grace.

"One of the main themes of the game is how the player, the Tarnished, approaches or treats this new-found grace and this return to the land that they were once banished from, how they interpret this and its meaning," Elden Ring creative director Hidetaka Miyazaki said in an interview.

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They're a lot like the Chosen Undead and the Hollows in Dark Souls. They're cursed to immortality, bound by a singular goal, and driven to a choice, working tirelessly to fix an apocalypse wrought by the gods who spurn them. The Tarnished are vilified outcasts, to put it simply, but there's a lot more to them than that.

What Happened To The Tarnished?

A screenshot showing the tarnished hiding from a group of enemies in Elden Ring

The Erdtree and the Elden Ring granted grace to the people of the Lands Between, making it a near-paradise. Or so we're told. Its inhabitants were blessed by the grace, evidenced by a golden aura in their eyes.

But then some lost their connection to grace, their eyes losing their golden hue. Soon enough, they were painted as monsters, people to be feared, a threat to the Lands Between. So they were banished, becoming what we now know as the Tarnished.

The Tarnished are so vilified in fact that there are assassins who specifically target them. We meet one at the Smouldering Church: Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater. Her Butchering Knife's description reads,

Huge carving knife made to cleanly butcher the human body. Signature weapon of the Ogress Anastasia, known to have eaten countless Tarnished while diguised as a Finger Maiden.

But the Tarnished didn't stay banished. Eventually, the Elden Ring was shattered and grace subsided. The peace fell apart. War broke out as many scrambled to try and become the new Elden Lord, fixing the Ring and bringing grace back. But they failed. So the Tarnished were summoned to fulfil their cursed prophecy, returning to the Lands Between. Whether they do restore the Lands Between to its prosperity, leave it to fester, or take the power for themselves, is up to you.

Who Are The Finger Maidens?

The Bloody Wolf sitting a Site of Grace with Melina in Elden Ring

Anastasia disguises herself as a Finger Maiden to entrap unsuspecting Tarnished, but who are the Finger Maidens? Why would the Tarnished trust them? Think of them as the Firekeepers who take care of the Hollows in Dark Souls, paving the way for the Chosen Undead to link the flame.

The Finger Maiden Fillet headgear reads,

Fillet worn by maidens who serve the Two Fingers. The maidens live to serve a chosen Tarnished, sharing their guidance and the wisdom of the Two Fingers. The guidance of grace would ensure that the pair be brought together. Or at least, such was the promise long ago.

They are the Tarnished's other half, helping them on their journey to become Elden Lord. We know as much due to the Finger Maiden Therolina Puppet item description which reads,

Spirit of Finger Maiden who never met the Tarnished she was meant to guide. Uses healing incantations and Holy Water pots, but she is not a fighter by nature and is ill-suited to battle. A Maiden without a Tarnished. A Tarnished without a Maiden. And yet no guide to bring them together.

Who Is Godfrey?

Godfrey Elden Ring standing with a giant axe alongside his wolf who flows in the air

Godfrey was the first Elden Lord, husband to Queen Marika. But he lost his own grace, becoming Tarnished himself, and so he too was exiled from the Lands Between. Miyazaki describes him as the "embodiment of [the Tarnished's] long history and struggle."

We get some insight into how people become Tarnished thanks to the Elden Lord set, Godfrey's armour. Much like the Hollows, it can be assumed that the Tarnished become that way when they lose their purpose. His armour set reads:

The age of the Erdtree began amongst conflict, when Godfrey was lord of the battlefield. He led the war against the Giants, faced the Storm Lord alone, and then there came a moment when his last worthy enemy fell. And it was then, as the story is told, that the hue of Lord Godfrey's eyes faded.

When he lost his purpose, he went Tarnished. And shortly after, he was banished. Queen Marika remains, ruling over the Lands Between as one of its demi-humans with her many children scattered.

What Is An Elden Lord?

A screenshot showing the tarnished facing off against Margit in Elden Ring

The story has us collecting Great Runes, reuniting them to fix the Elden Ring so that we can harness its power. In doing so, we become the Elden Lord, the ruler of the Lands Between. It's a title given to the holder of the Elden Ring, but how we use that power is up to us. By collecting all the Great Runes, the Tarnished prove themselves as worthy to take the mantle, even if the gods and rulers of the Lands Between continue to scorn them.

Next: Elden Ring: Complete Guide And Walkthrough