Despite being released all the way back in February, Elden Ring is still one of the most likely contenders to win game of the year, and that's in no short part thanks to the game's rich and extensive lore. Much like the rest of FromSoftware's back catalog, Elden Ring's story is told in a number of subtle ways, from small environmental details to hidden lines of dialogue. It takes quite a lot of effort to experience all of Elden Ring's lore, and that's certainly true for the game's many sorceries and incantations, each boasting their own rich backstory.
From the moment players boot up Elden Ring for the first time, they're immediately bombarded with obscure plot details and world building, ranging from an all-powerful tree to a lost dynasty of demigods. There's a lot for new players to take in, and that's without diving into the game's enemies, allies, weapons, and areas. But of all Elden Ring's more convoluted concepts, its magic is some of the most important, tying in with most of the game's locations and characters.
Magic Derived from the Stars
Long ago, four ancient sorcerers from the Lands Between sought to use magic as a means of strengthening society. The four discovered Glintstone, a mysterious blue crystal-like mineral substance found deep in the ground, and found that this substance could be used as a conduit for magic. Together, the four founded Raya Lucaria Academy in Liurnia, and began teaching these Glintstone sorceries to their students.
Each of the four founding members of Raya Lucaria strongly believed that the source of their magical abilities came from the stars, and other heavenly bodies, and each one dedicated their lives to studying the magic's different sources. Master Lusat studied the stars, while Azur spent his time surveying comets, and the two unnamed Twin Sages took a wider approach, studying all different kinds of Glintstone magic.
Magic Derived from the Moon
As magic became more prevalent in the Lands Between, Raya Lucaria Academy began accepting more and more students. One of those students was Rennala, a member of the Liurnia royal family. Joining the academy at a young age, Rennala was naturally gifted with sorceries, and soon rose in the academy's ranks. But Rennala didn't share the same outlook as her masters. Instead, Rennala believed that the source of magic in the Lands Between was the moon.
Over time, Rennala created her own strain of sorceries, known as Full Moon magic. This new type of magic was shunned by the founders of Raya Lucaria Academy, but somehow, Rennala had her way and became the headmaster of the school. Rennala began teaching her students that their powers derived from the moon. Eventually, this inspired one powerful sorcerer to fuse both Glintstone and Full Moon magic together, creating Carian magic.
Magic Derived From Dark, Flame, Cold, Death, and More
With magic continuing to spread across the Lands Between, more and more types of variations started to appear. Rennala's daughter, Ranni, discovered Dark Moon magic. This was then further developed by those in the Eternal Cities, who created Night magic. Cold magic is also based on Full and Dark Moon magic. Most of Elden Ring's magic comes from either the stars or the moon, but different sorcerers had different interpretations of those sources, and that lead to further strains of magic. These ranged from Aberrant magic, based on a blood star, to Gravity magic, which is said to only be harnessed by those who have directly fallen from the heavens themselves, such as Astel, who was born in the Void.
Elden Ring is available on Microsoft Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.