FromSoftware's Elden Ring is known for its complicated lore and epic storytelling. While it's still enjoyable without completely understanding certain aspects of the lore, the darker truths of The Lands Between only serve to enrich the gaming experience. There are dozens of intricate fan theories circulating forums, especially with a DLC reportedly in the works, but there is one sinister theory that may go unnoticed by all but the most observant of fans.

In Elden Ring, players play as the Tarnished in a post-war world following the Shattering of the Elden Ring, which held Order and Chaos in check and blessed many with eternal life. The Tarnished were banished from the world by Marika after losing their connection with the grace of the Erdtrees that dot the landscape. However, after the Shattering of the Elden Ring, the Tarnished returned to become Elden Lord, drawn along their path by fragments of grace left behind. One of the most important parts of being Tarnished is the companionship of Finger Maidens, servants of the Two Fingers, the divine finger-like forms that serve as the interpreters between those in The Lands Between and the Greater Will that holds it all together.

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Screenshot depicting a Tarnished bathing in Erdtree's golden glow, as seen in Elden Ring.

Finger Maidens serve as guides for Tarnished warriors seeking the Elden Ring, as they can turn gathered runes into strength (which is how the player levels up and assigns attributes to customize their character). However, as the player emerges from the Church of Anticipation, where the tutorial is held at the beginning of their journey, they come face-to-face with an NPC named White Mask Varré, who not-so-sympathetically informs them that they have no maiden to guide them.

Because of the maidens' ability to bring strength to the player in return for collected runes, it is disastrous for the Tarnished to be without one. So what happened to theirs? One fan theory taking the internet by storm suggests that White Mask Varré is responsible for killing the Tarnished's maiden. And unfortunately, there is more than enough evidence to support this despite it not being outright confirmed by the game's campaign.

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Elden Ring Dead Finger Maiden

The most obvious piece of evidence that supports this theory is that White Mask Varré can first be found upon exiting the Church of Anticipation, where the unnamed dead Finger Maiden is also located. He has no logical reason to know that the player is maidenless, and yet he is the one who announces this fact without having to be told. There was no one else in the Church of Anticipation by the maiden's body, so how else would he know that the Tarnished is maidenless?

Additionally, White Mask Varré's questline includes tasking the Tarnished with collecting the blood of deceased maidens to empower the Lord of Blood's Favor. In this case, the Lord of Blood refers to Mohg, whom the player will defeat later in the campaign). This Favor will theoretically help Mohg, White Mask Varré's master, usurp the Two Fingers and bring about what is known as the Mohgwyn Dynasty, a new order based on bloodletting that seeks to shape The Lands Between to their vision. This organization's patron is the Formless Mother, who's responsible for Mohg's kidnapping of Miquella, demigod brother to Malenia. Mohg plans to corrupt Miquella using his own forsaken and cursed blood, putting one of the most powerful demigods in existence on their side and almost guaranteeing their success.

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White-Faced Varré speaks with the player in front of an Erdtree

The reason that White Mask Varré has these maidens killed to soak the Lord of Blood's Favor is twofold. First, Mohg needs blood to try to wake the slumbering Miquella, who lost too much of his own blood trying to cure his sister's Scarlet Rot. Second, Mohg wants to spit in the face of the Two Fingers, whom he despises. Being the one to break the news to the Tarnished that they're without a maiden almost makes White Mask Varré seem like a helpful character (until the truth is brought to light), which puts the Tarnished on a path to help him in return. This, unknowingly to the player until later in the quest, only serves to bring about the Lord of Blood's will, which would doom the Tarnished should he succeed.

In the end, there's a reason that the highly praised Elden Ring has captured the attention of so many players worldwide. With creative minds like A Song of Ice and Fire's George R. R. Martin at the helm, interesting bits of lore were bound to exist for players to discover as they explored. And while some pieces of lore are more fun or impactful to the actual gameplay, it is the dark history hidden among everything else that makes Elden Ring such a masterpiece in the RPG gaming world.