To the New World is a crossover series between Dark Souls and Elden Ring, written on Archive of Our Own by WorldSinger. In which an imprisoned Gwyndolin accidentally sends dreams of his distress to another world entirely, to a Tarnished formerly of no renown who never could ignore a cry for help. So she proceeds to show Aldrich exactly what she thinks of his god-eating tendencies before spiriting his victim away to the Lands Between. There, the last god to remember Anor Londo in its full glory slowly follows the path to healing and comes to the difficult conclusion that it might be best for him and everyone to step in the Dark.

The moon doesn't make its own light. Gwyndolin is still bent on trying.

The series currently consists of:

We Make Our Own Light: The fic that started it all, set after the events of Elden Ring and partway through the events of Dark Souls 3. Complete.
A Very Gentle Place: Sequel to WMOOL, covering the Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City DLCs. Complete.
Woven Anew: One-shot about Princess Filianore and Shira.
May All Things Flourish: Prequel to WMOOL, about Eira's journey to become Elden Lord. In-progress.
Moments In Between: A collection of slice-of-life one-shots.

Contains the following tropes

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Tropes applying to the series

13 Is Unlucky: Inverted. Eira defeated Margit after dying to him twelve times.
Adaptational Backstory Change:
- In canon it was left unknown where Yorshka came from and who her parents were, here it's eventually revealed that she was born in the painted world to Priscilla and the pyromancer Dunnel
- The King of the Storm is revealed to be Ornstein, who turned himself into a dragon to be able to continue to serve by Gwynhael's side
Adaptation Expansion:
- The series elaborates on many things which are unexplained or unexplored in the source material, such as Yorshka's origins, the government of Irithyll, what an Age of Dark would look like, mankind's latent abilities, the relationships among Gwyn's family, and the backstories of minor characters like Sirris.
- On the Elden Ring side, things fleshed out include Miquella and Morgott's upbringings, their relationships with their siblings, historical and current relations with dragons, the Crucible-Erdtree connection, internal trade, and the government and restoration of the Lands Between.
Affectionate Nickname:
- The Leyndell crew coin "Lin" for Gwyndolin, which he becomes more comfortable with the more he throws off his father's legacy.
- Likewise, Gwynhael and Gwynevere have "Hael" and "Vere".
- Miquella refers to Eira as "consort mine", while she occasionally shortens his name to "Miq".
- After their marriage, Dunstan calls Elisabeth "Lisbet".
- The prequel shows that Eira called Millicent "Millie".
Ascended Extra:
- Yorshka is just a minor NPC in Dark Souls III who serves to initiate the player into the Darkmoon Covenant. Here, she's one of the main characters.
- Amalie starts as a background Original Character in We Make Our Own Light before being Promoted to Love Interest in the sequel.
The Atoner: Both Miquella and Gwyndolin are ashamed of what they became and did in the names of their 'utopias', and have vowed to never again allow such things to occur.
Been There, Shaped History: Dunstan was around for Dark Souls I and casually comments on a number of its events. Most prominently, he was the one who went back in time and killed Manus.
Big Brother Worship:
- Gwyndolin is on the giving and receiving end; he adored the Nameless King, enough that he secretly kept calling him by name after their father had it stricken from record, and Yorshka thinks the world of him.
- Miquella states Radahn was his childhood hero and that his desire to make Radahn his consort wasn't rooted in romantic feelings, but "a childhood dream where he sat on his big brother’s shoulders and embraced the world."
Braids of Action: Hair-braiding is part of the culture of the Lands Between, with different braids used for different events. Naturally, this includes braids for battle.
Broken Bird:
- Sirris was once an eager girl who looked up to her grandfather and loved serving Gwyndolin. When Hodrick betrayed him, Sirris began to inwardly fear she too would one day go mad, and her duties started to be more about proving herself than a source of joy. Then Sulyvahn overthrew Gwyndolin and slew the rest of her comrades. Now Sirris is a sorrowful woman coldly tucking away her grief.
- Sister Friede was not originally a heartless person—she and her sisters had to teach themselves how to be cruel when they founded the Sable Church, on the basis that the world was cruel and they would never be able to bring change if they clung to soft emotions. She never quite stopped longing for a softer life despite countless years of living like that. Then she died an agonizing death when she failed to usurp the Flame. After her attempt at Starting a New Life fails, she basically resigns herself to waiting for death.
Calming Tea: Morgott holds to a cup of tea being perfect for any situation, to the point that brewing a pot was the first thing he did after the Night of the Black Knives. It also makes for a pretty good excuse to escape those blasted touchy-feely moments.
Children Are Innocent: During her journeys, Eira met Ragna and five other unnamed Omen children who moved her deeply with their simple love. After becoming Elden Lord, she took them under her protection and brought them to the Erdtree Sanctuary. As such, they're witness to many of the cast's difficulties, and provide comfort and warmth to various characters.
Christmas Episode: Chapter 14 of Moments in Between has the cast gathering in Leyndell for a Midwinter celebration.
Citadel City: Leyndell, natch. In addition to its great defensive location and thick walls, it has an enormous petrified dragon on display to add to its intimidation factor. It also has the honor of being the only place in the Lands Between that has never been broken by siege.
Contemplation Location:
- Morgott often meditates on his balcony because it offers an excellent view of the Erdtree.
- During his amnesiac phase, Gwynhael takes a liking to the statue of Gransax, since it reminds him of Archdragon Peak, and passes his time in meditation there.
Continuity Nod: Though the series starts long after Dark Souls I, both Gwyndolin and Dunstan were active at the time (in fact, Dunstan was one of the Undead trying to link the fire, though he ultimately failed), and will reference its characters and events.
Cool Horse: Eira's steed Torrent is mostly equine, though he has horns, and bravely charges dragons and furnace golems alike.
Cosmic Keystone: The Elden Ring, the First Flame, and the world-flame of Ariandel function as this for the Lands Between, Lothric, and the Painted World, respectively, with their states directly influencing the well-being of their respective realms.
Cuddle Bug: Touch is very much the love language of Eira, Miquella, and the Omen children. The constant hugs leave Gwyndolin reeling, but by the time he returns to Irithyll he too has become a cuddler.
Dances and Balls: The closing chapters of both fics feature someone hosting a ball to showcase their land's recovery and inviting the rest of the cast.
Dawn of an Era: One of the recurring themes throughout the stories is that there will come a time when something cannot be sustained any longer and must be allowed to perish, whether that be a part of the natural order like the First Flame, a ruined dream like the Haligtree, or even one's own bad habits. But as painful as doing this may be, it never signifies ultimate defeat, only a healing process that, completed, allows even more wondrous works than before.
Day Hurts Dark-Adjusted Eyes: Once the Age of Dark begins, characters traveling from Irithyll to Leyndell have to wear blindfolds for a bit to let their eyes adjust to sunlight.
A Day in the Limelight: Several chapters of Moments In Between are dedicated to side characters.
- "Hear Thou My Voice" centers on Elisabeth's thoughts regarding her duties as a Fire-Keeper and what goes through her mind when she prepares to extinguish the First Flame.
- As an apology for barely mentioning her, Melina has a long chapter titled "There is Beauty in That", wherein she observes Eira's journey to become Elden Lord.
- "Chrysalises" is set partway through We Make Our Own Light, from the perspective of St. Trina while she's dream-walking.
Defrosting Ice King:
- Morgott was none too pleased with Eira for burning the Erdtree and shaking the foundations of what he’d been raised to believe. He eventually came to care for her, even if he’d rather die than admit it.
- Miquella was understandably pretty miffed about having to marry Eira moments after she destroyed his plans and killed his brother. As such, he didn’t trust her and avoided conversation if he could help it. Over time, he realized she was genuinely a kind person, began turning to her for comfort, and eventually fell in love.
Determinator:
- Gwyndolin cares not for his frail body or unstable mental state, he will accomplish his goals. It was quite detrimental for the world as he staunchly upheld the Age of Fire far beyond its natural end, but it also helps him to recover from his captivity and go through the Fire fading in spite of being terrified by the possible aftermath. It becomes deconstructed in the sequel, where his refusal to heed his delicate constitution is shown to stem from a fear that accepting help or stopping will result in him being treated like an invalid again. The continual self-neglect in pursuit of his goals almost kills him, permanently hampers his ability to fight, and necessitates he make lifestyle changes.
- Miquella. Besides the part where he cut off pieces of his own flesh to ascend, when his plans were smashed to pieces moments before they could come to fruition, he got up, dusted himself off, and started again from ground zero. Twice, at that.
- Vilhelm fights his way out of a nightmarish dungeon infested with giant insects with nothing but a torch in one hand. His other is a bit busy holding shut his Slashed Throat.
Dies Differently in the Adaptation:
- Millicent still died by willingly removing her unalloyed golden needle, but it was to save Miquella, not Malenia.
- Sulyvahn and the Soul of Cinder are killed by Gwyndolin instead of the Chosen Undead.
- Instead of falling in battle, the Gravetender Greatwolf dies peacefully as Ariandel does.
Disabled Deity:
- For a very long time, Gwyndolin was too frail to walk under his own power and was reliant on his snakes to carry him everywhere. Even after recovering in the Lands Between, his stamina isn't the greatest so he quickly exhausts himself and his lungs are prone to sicken. When the First Flame is put out and the world enters the Age of Dark, Gwyndolin outright loses his divine status along with it, and is left nearly catatonic when he realizes his moonlight is gone, though how much of that was shock is unclear. He gets better.
- Malenia keeps suffering from the scarlet rot, to Miquella's great distress.
Drama-Preserving Handicap: Miquella's still getting used to the Elden Ring, so he can't simply brute-force his way through the various problems the heroes encounter. Further compounding this, he can only use a fraction of his full, godlike power while astral projecting, so even if he did master the Ring he wouldn't be able to use it to help out in Lothric.
Due to the Dead: Dunstan takes time to pray for his enemies after battle. When he doesn’t, it’s a sign his mental health is slipping.
Empathic Weapon: While not able to communicate with their wielders, certain weapons have distinct personalities. Rennala's Carian Regal Scepter, for instance, is described by Gwyndolin as "commanding and self-assured, a woman who could stand at the head of an army and bend the heavens to her will," while Eira notes the Bolt of Gransax has moods and likes.
Endless Winter: Par the course for the Boreal Valley. It gets intensified when the Age of Dark begins.
Ensemble Cast:
- While Gwyndolin is the main protagonist in We Make Our Own Light, Eira, Miquella, Morgott, Dunstan, and Yorshka all have fully-fledged character arcs which are given just as much importance as his.
- The sequel has Yorshka rising to Deuteragonist status and Friede, Vilhelm, Gwynhael, and Sirris joining the ensemble.
Exposed to the Elements: Subverted and deconstructed. Lin’s preference for light clothing and silks is not at all suitable for the Boreal Valley’s climate, renders him ill several times, and is a source of concern for his friends. In the sequel his refusal to wear weather-appropriate apparel contributes to the permanent ruin of his health.
Face Your Fears: One of the series' thematic elements. Gwyndolin has to overcome his dread of the Dark, Sirris her terror of turning out like Hodrick, Friede her fear of fire... In fact, just about all of Lothric's problems can be traced back to Gwyn failing to do this, as he established firelinking to keep the Dark that frightened him at bay.
Famed in Story: Rumors of Eira and her red lightning are well-known in Lothric, even unto Archdragon Peak. Irithyll in particular holds her in high regard, since she rescued its lord from Aldrich.
Fire-Forged Friends: Quite literally. Eira spared Morgott after their final battle, set the Erdtree on fire before his horrified eyes, and dragged him off to help her find Miquella. At the start of the story, they're more "tense allies with a deep mutual respect" than anything, as Eira knows he harbors some resentment about what she did, but by its end they've become this trope in full.
Flowery Elizabethan English: The author correctly uses archaic phrases and Early Modern English to distinguish those of low birth from the educated, royalty, and immortals. "Thou", for example, is exclusively used by those in the latter category because it's reserved for familiarity or social inferiority; the few who don't use it are either Rags to Royalty (Eira) or have consciously dropped it (Miquella, Malenia, Mohg).
Glowing Flora: Elin, a minor Original Character in Irithyll, experiments with and successfully cross-breeds luminescent flowers. Naturally glowing moss also grows in caves and populates the Boreal Valley.
Headbutt of Love: One of the affectionate gestures often exchanged among the characters. Notably Morgott, who otherwise isn't very tactile, likes doing this.
Healing Herb: Erdtree sap is such a powerful restorative that only a few drops will preserve one from death. Because of its sanctity, Morgott gives it out rarely.
Heel–Face Turn: Eira made Miquella see the error of his ways, convincing him to merge back with St. Trina, joining forces with her to fix his mistakes and make the Lands Between a better place, and they eventually ended up Happily Married to each other.
Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: While some side characters wear helmets, nobody in the main cast does. Heck, not only does Vilhelm lose his upon gaining prominence, when he has to replace his armor with the Follower Set he refuses to wear the accompanying helmet because it’s hideous.
Immortality: The Everlasting Dragons of Dark Souls and Ancient Dragons of Elden Ring are biologically immortal, having seen the passing of countless eons and cycles. In both cases it is also possible for a mortal to become one, although it comes at the price of being permanently bound to their world.
Insult of Endearment: Morgott almost always calls Eira "Tarnished", often in exasperation and/or with an insulting adjective attached. This doesn't prevent him from having a great deal of respect and brotherly affection for her.
Lady of War: Eira and Sirris—for all the former's energy, she keeps a cool head in battle and fights gracefully alongside her spear, while the latter is a calm, collected knight wielding an estoc.
Late-Arrival Spoiler: The first few chapters of We Make Our Own Light spoil that Miquella and Radahn were the joint Final Boss of Shadow of the Erdtree.
Lighter and Softer: While the stories keep the typical Souls-like bleakness, the author uses it to emphasize the renewal of the world and the characters' resilience, companionship, love, and healing, making for thematically much more uplifting works.
Loophole Abuse: As the bearer of the Elden Ring, Miquella physically must not leave the Lands Between. So he just astral projects when he wants to visit or help his friends in other realms.
Magic Knight: Honestly, it'd be easier to list those who aren't this than those who are.
Manly Tears: Men cry within the series a number of times, and are never the less Badass for it—even if they're not "acceptably" manly throughout.
- A pretty good example is Miquella's crying throughout the chain of events leading to the Haligtree's burning—those with him are actually frightened to see him standing there, furious but stoic tears tracing down his cheeks. His raw, undignified breakdown in Eira's arms afterwards is welcomed as more genuine.
- Gwyndolin has about a hundred reasons to cry: if he's not just barely escaping a Fate Worse than Death, working through his deep-seated issues, or stressing about how to save the world, he's crying for his sister and/or True Companions when they go through hardship. None of these are pretty and none of these emasculate him.
- In the sequel, Dunstan weeps like never before upon his return from the Ringed City. Learning you did-almost-could have caused the end of the world will do that to you.
Meaningful Name:
- Eira is Welsh for "snow". Snow strongly resembles ash, which heralded her new Age when she burned the Erdtree. It also has strong similarities with the Norse word Eir, which means "mercy".
- Dunstan means "black stone", since the Ashen One will become the cornerstone of the new Age of Dark.
- Gwyndolin named Yorshka after a legendary dragon whose breath caused the earth to burst into bloom, because meeting her brought spring to his life. Likewise, she renews the painted world.
- Elfriede changed her name to Friede, "peace", because it was what she was hoping to find.
Mindlink Mates: In addition to the lordship link through the Elden Ring, Eira and Miquella have a consorts' bond. At first it only allows them to sense each other's emotions, but eventually grows deep enough to let them mentally communicate and fight with literally one mind if they want.
Mortality Ensues: With the rune of death unbound, Eira's Resurrective Immortality is gone. Given her impulsive tendencies, she has a hard time with this. It ensues for Dunstan too once the First Flame is extinguished.
Multiple Official Rulers: In contrast to Marika's reign, the Lands Between are now ruled by the triumvirate of Eira, Miquella and Morgott; Eira rides out to survey the people and offer assistance, Miquella passes legislature and oversees reconstruction, and Morgott concerns himself with military matters and national security. If a serious enough matter arises, such as whether Eira should rescue Gwyndolin from Aldrich, they come together and vote on it—though, as Morgott grumpily notes, his co-rulers being Happily Married means this often goes against him.
My Own Private "I Do": Miquella and Eira invert this. They do exchange their vows in private, but it’s purely transactional. When love actually begins to bud, they have a public wedding–which their subjects, funnily enough, think is unnecessary.
Mythology Gag:
- Sulyvahn gives Yorshka a severed finger and tells her it's Gwyndolin's. One invokedDummied Out item from Dark Souls III was Gwyndolin's actual finger, which would have been a keepsake for Yorshka.
- Morgott mentions he used to spar with Malenia, but could never find a defense for invoked"her dance".
- In Elden Ring, several item descriptions mention people debating about whether St. Trina is a boy or a girl. The first time he meets Trina, Gwyndolin briefly mistakes her as Miquella wearing a Ring of Reversal.
- While fighting a shadow-Radahn, Eira notes his cross-slash is slower than she remembers—the very nerf Promised Consort Radahn received in the 1.14 patch.
- May All Things Flourish gets its title from one of Miquella's cut lines of dialogue.
Mundane Utility:
- Besides being pretty handy in combat, pyromancy is also used to melt snow, start fires, and provide lighting.
- Miquella’s a master of light magic who’ll use it for illumination, just because he finds lanterns prosaic.
Named by the Adaptation: Both the Nameless King (Gwynhael) and the Fire-Keeper (Elisabeth).
Night and Day Duo: Irithyll is a moonlit city in the Boreal Valley, has a color scheme of silver and black, and flourished when the First Flame was extinguished. Leyndell is a sunlit city near the now-fiery Erdtree, has a color scheme of red and gold, and flourished when the Erdtree was burned. The parallels even extend to their respective gods: Gwyndolin wields sorceries drawn from the night sky, has silver hair, and was born under a darkmoon, while Miquella wields fire and light, has golden hair, and is a healer.
Official Couple: Miquella/Eira, Dunstan/Elisabeth, and Sirris/Amalie.
Oh, My Gods!: People from Lothric swear “by the Fire/Flame”, while those from the Lands Between usually swear “by the Erdtree/Crucible”; "Marika's tits" still gets dropped a few times.
Our Dragons Are Different: Lesser dragons are mostly what you’d expect, being mindless and aggressive. Ancient dragons, on the other hand, are akin to angels: sentient, untouched by time, and associated with both lightning and the fiery, life-giving Crucible.
Paying It Forward: Good begets good, consistently. It’s most obvious with Miquella, Morgott, Vilhelm, and Friede, who make Heel Face Turns after being shown mercy, but other instances include Millicent being available to support Eira in her time of need because Eira supported her in hers and Gwyndolin growing into a compassionate god thanks to the kindness he found in the Lands Between.
Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Eira and Miquella got married purely for pragmatic reasons—he needed a new consort to live, she needed a god to usher in her Age of the Crucible. After several adventures and their ascension, they're completely in love.
Plant People: Marika and a few of her line display plant-like characteristics. Flowers spring up from Miquella's blood, and he was able to physically embed himself in the Haligtree with no harm to either. Malenia literally bloomed into a giant Aeonia flower when pushed to her breaking point, from which Millicent was born. Similarly, Trina's body is enveloped in a giant lily when Miquella abandons her, and flowers grow from her blood. As for Marika, the twins' father Radagon was part of her, so presumably she, the twins and Millicent have identical biologies. Despite this, they look entirely human and can have viable offspring with them; Marika had three sons with her first husband Godfrey, and their son Godwyn went on to have children of his own.
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: One of the factors binding the main cast is that they were all, in some way, considered societal oddities. Gwyndolin was raised as a girl because of his frailty and moon magic, Eira was a Tarnished peasant, Morgott was shunned for his Omen features, Miquella was cursed with eternal childhood, Dunstan is an Undead who already failed to link the Flame, and Yorshka is a dragon-blooded orphan.
Rain of Arrows: One of Gwyndolin's two signature spells, courtesy of Aldrich.
Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Between the rumors of Gwyndolin being fed to Aldrich and his well-known devotion to preserving his father's legacy, many non-Irithyllians mistakenly believe him to be dead once the Age of Dark begins. This is why Gwynevere still hasn't sought him out when the sequel starts.
Resurgent Empire: Two-fold. With the Elden Ring being mended before the story's start, the Lands Between are in a process of rebuilding and reform. Part of that reform includes incorporating the Crucible, which preceded the Golden Order and was suppressed in Marika's reign, and purging the cruel parts of both empires while keeping the good parts.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: A solid portion of the main cast are royalty, who also happen to be veterans of combat with no problems going toe-to-toe with demons, dragons, demigods, and outer gods if need be.
The Sacred Darkness: The Age of Dark being part of the natural order with its own sort of beauty, not an era of bloodshed and terror, is the core of Gwnydolin's teachings to his people upon his return from the Lands Between.
Shock and Awe: Wielded by Eira and Gwynhael. The Soul of Cinder uses it too when channeling Gwyn.
Shrinking Violet:
- Gwyndolin's natural social anxiety wasn't helped by millennia of seclusion. Merely speaking to his worshipers terrifies him.
- This is why St. Trina doesn't often manifest physically, as she's more comfortable in the realm of dreams. And even there, she hides behind her hair.
Shout-Out:
- When they were children, Miquella and Malenia often sang a duet about two people separated by time and space yet always close in heart, which the author confirms is based off "Itsumo Nando Demo".
- At one point in We Make Our Own Light, Lin has a dream full of jars and the shadows of huge fish swimming on his walls.
- While traversing Ariandel, Dunstan asks Lin how many wolves his archer eyes see.
Sour Supporter:
- Morgott just won't stop complaining about Eira's Chronic Hero Syndrome and harebrained schemes, but serves her just as loyally as he served the Golden Order.
- Dunstan is deeply bitter regarding the Gods of Anor Londo's tremendous mistakes. He nonetheless encourages Gwyndolin to grow and bring change to the world.
Spared by the Adaptation:
- Gwyndolin, Morgott and Miquella, obviously; Eira rescues the first from Aldrich, spares the second after defeating him, and marries the third to save his life. Since her counterpart survived SotE, Trina did as well, and per the author, Godfrey’s still out there somewhere, since he didn’t have Morgott’s dying grace to follow back to Leyndell.
- Friede and Vilhelm are another pair who survive their boss fights and make a Heel–Face Turn. And while their fights were optional in their home games, Placidusax and the Nameless King died at the end of them. Here, Eira chooses to duel them honorably, and they both live. This also allows Filianore to live, since Placidusax agrees to shelter her in Farum Azula until she can be woken without dying.
- In Dark Souls III, it was strongly implied Siegward planned to commit suicide after keeping his promise to Mercy Kill Yhorm. After realizing his intentions, Dunstan talks him out of it.
Swamps Are Evil: Unsurprisingly, given the source material.
- Any place infected with scarlet rot becomes a miserable, disease-ridden swamp. The one in the Haligtree especially is a source of grief for Miquella.
- Dunstan didn't take the swamps around Blighttown seriously enough, so when he sent his friend Laurentius there the latter went hollow.
- The swamps in and around the Ringed City are filled with humanity monsters and remnants of dead civilizations.
Switching P.O.V.: In order to give individual members of the Ensemble Cast time in the spotlight, scenes or chapters will have different narrators.
Teleport Spam: Shamelessly abused by Gwyndolin and Miquella in combat. Being a Squishy Wizard doesn't matter if your opponent never hits you, after all.
That Man Is Dead: Gwyndolin and Miquella both view their past selves as different people. Gwyndolin views the old Dark Sun Gwyndolin as a cold, lonely, naïve god who still desperately sought the approval of a father long gone, and who died in Aldrich's jaws. Miquella, in turn, views the old Miquella the Unalloyed as an idealistic youth who was blind to the suffering his age would bring, and believes that he died the moment he began using his mind control powers to achieve his goals.
Time Crash: As in Dark Souls III, space and time are converging in Lothric due to The End of the World as We Know It approaching. While time itself flows linearly, places from different times are pressing up against each other. In the sequel, the cast travel to world's end, which seems to be set after a similar convergence but also contains a city untouched by time.
True Companions:
- The entirety of We Make Our Own Light is about Gwyndolin forming platonic but deep bonds with characters from both the Lands Between and his homeland.
- In the sequel A Very Gentle Place, Yorshka finds her own True Companions with Friede and Vilhelm.
Warp Whistle: At the end of We Make Our Own Light, Lin enchants a set of silver rings for his True Companions that can teleport them to Irithyll or Leyndell, so they can visit whenever they want. In the sequel, he adds another enchantment that lets the rings act as summon signs.
Wartime Wedding: Taken to the extreme and justified with Miquella and Eira—they got married on the battlefield, with Radahn's blood drying on her spear, because if they didn't exchange vows right then Miquella was going to die.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Several reviewers have noted the persistent silence around Ranni's presence. invokedWord of God is that she's not on speaking terms with her half-brothers and sister-in-law because of her role in the Night of Black Knives.
A World Half Full: Part of the series' theme. The world can be a harsh place, situations can be ruinous, people awful, and sorrow overbearing; still, the world is also beautiful, a difference can be made, no one is Beyond Redemption, and joy can be born after or amidst endured grief.
- Lothric is rapidly deteriorating after eons of firelinking, various factions are selfishly grasping at power, undead and eldritch monstrosities roam the land, and the only heroes available are the absolute dregs of society. Yet The Apocalypse Brings Out the Best in People as well, the very weakness of those heroes gives them the humility to avoid the mistakes of the great, small pockets of civilization prosper, and the Age of the Dark finally grants the world some much-needed time to rest.
- The Lands Between have only just emerged from a period of anarchy, preceded by an intense civil war and two reigns characterized by cruelty. There have been painful losses and some areas are still heavily scarred by war. And yet, Miquella and Eira's mutual determination to right past wrongs has paid off in a big way: the Crucible is restored, Deathroot is being kept at bay, old prejudices are dying or dead, and racial equality is established.
The World Is Just Awesome: In direct defiance of how dire things seem, the characters consistently try to find beauty and wonder in the world around them as a form of encouragement. It's embodied most prominently in Eira, who loves meeting people and expresses awe at every new place she goes to.
Yin-Yang Bomb: The Erdtree has fire flowing through it, now that the Crucible's restored, yet doesn't burn.

Tropes applying to We Make Our Own Light

After-Action Healing Drama: Slaying Aldrich is only the first part of saving Gwyndolin; his poisoning and imprisonment have left him in critical condition, and the next few chapters cover the Leyndell crew’s efforts to heal and stabilize him.
After the End: Part III showcases how the cast of Dark Souls 3 rebuild and adjust to the Age of Dark.
Ambiguously Related: Gwyndolin notes that the Profaned Flame’s whispers are similar to the Formless Mother’s, suggesting it might be the Formless Mother under a different name or an outer god in its own right.
Awesome Moment of Crowning: The epilogue has Lin and Miquella working in tandem to make Eira a crown forged from Lin's abandoned sun-crown, followed by her official coronation as Elden Lord.
Awful Truth: Gwyndolin carefully avoids mentioning how exactly he fell sick, since Sulyvahn acted on Yorshka releasing confidential information out of stress about his recurrent nightmares and he knows it would devastate her. Sure enough, when Dunstan casually mentions the Pontiff poisoning the god, Yorshka immediately puts two and two together and is horror-struck to have been an Unwitting Instigator of Doom for her beloved brother.
Battle in the Center of the Mind:
- The battle against the Formless Mother's avatar occurs entirely on a mental and spiritual plane shared by Eira and Morgott.
- It's mentioned that, to help Eira recover from her nightmares of being snapped in two by Astel, Miquella and Morgott entered her dreams to help her fight off the beast.
Beam-O-War: Before it shifts to Gwyn, the Soul of Cinder gets in one of these with Lin by mimicking his Comet Azur.
Became Their Own Antithesis: The Dark Sun was one of the most fanatical believers in the Firelinking, and it took some serious trauma for Gwyndolin to finally re-evaluate his position. Now, he firmly argues for allowing the Flame to fade and usher the Age of Dark — Prince Lothric almost did a double take when Dunstan explained that and Sirri's knee-jerk reaction when informed was to insist her god had been tortured into madness.
Bigotry Exception: Dunstan sneers at the gods for ruining the world by refusing to let the Flame fade, but Yorshka is just so sweet and gentle that he cannot bring himself to despise her. He also starts to warm up to Gwyndolin as he learns just how much crap was heaped on the poor guy's shoulders, and because he gets to see Gwyndolin is genuine in helping him to put an end to the Age of Fire.
Blasphemous Boast: Gwyndolin is incensed to learn Sulyvahn has been proclaiming "the moon still sets in Irithyll", because it's a metaphor for claiming to have killed Gwyndolin.
Break Them by Talking: The Formless Mother's favorite tactic. As the ‘Mother of Truth’, it instinctively knows and attacks the emotional vulnerabilities of whoever it's speaking to.
The Cameo: Numerous NPCs from Elden Ring make an appearance at Eira's Awesome Moment of Crowning.
Central Theme: Breaking cycles of abuse and discarding masks. Learning from one's mistakes and moving forward.
The Chains of Commanding: Eira is still new to being Elden Lord, and as such struggles to reconcile its duties with her desire to jump headfirst to someone’s aid. Impulsive heroism was well and good when she was an unimportant Tarnished of no renown, but now her death would destabilize the Lands Between and grieve its other two rulers. Eventually she finds the necessary balance to be “the Elden Lord” without suppressing “Eira”.
Chekhov's Skill: Siegward is introduced whipping up a good bowl of Estus soup. When he retires, cooking becomes his full-time job. And a pretty important one too, considering that all recipes in the Age of Dark have to be made from scratch.
Combat Breakdown: The Wizard Duel between Gwyndolin and Sulyvahn involves epic displays of magical powers from both sorcerers, with some good old melee mixed in. By its end, they're both so exhausted from casting and tanking Comet Azur, respectively that the battle ends with one last, desperate sword-swing.
Cry into Chest: Yorshka weeps into Gwyndolin's when he tells her how he really lost his snakes.
Curb-Stomp Cushion: While Eira has the upper hand for almost all of their battle, Aldrich comes close to killing Gwyndolin and leaves him permanently maimed.
Death Is Cheap: Played for Laughs when Eira and Dunstan meet, recognize each other as their world's respective undead, and begin comparing the ways they died on their adventures.
Defiant to the End:
- Gwyndolin, despite being malnourished, freezing, wounded, and sick, is determined that if he's going to die it will be on his feet, and aids Eira to the best of his abilities in the battle against Aldrich.
- Eira herself in the same fight; backed against a wall, facing imminent death, she sticks her hand in Aldrich's mouth to lob a fireball down it.
- Morgott attacks the Formless Mother with a stick, to Eira's delight.
Distressed Dude: Gwyndolin is about to get devoured by Aldrich when Eira receives a dream of his dire circumstances and decides to run to his help.
Downer Beginning: The first chapter details Gwyndolin's nightmares, poisoning, overthrow, imprisonment, and the start of his being Eaten Alive.
Dreaming of Things to Come: Gwyndolin has recurring dreams of ash-coated, destroyed kingdoms completely bereft of life, warning him what will happen if he keeps forcing the Age of Fire to continue.
Early-Bird Cameo:
- In Chapter 1, Sirris of the Sunless Realm is name-dropped among the Darkmoon Knights supporting Gwyndolin. She becomes a recurring supporting character in the second half of the fic and part of the Ensemble Cast in the sequel.
- In her first letter to Gwyndolin, Yorshka mentions an Unkindled named Dunstan is lingering in the area to protect her tower. He makes his first proper appearance in Chapter 21, aids Lin in retaking Irithyll and bringing about the Age of Dark, and goes on to become one of his True Companions.
Earn Your Happy Ending: The cast manage to save the Dark Souls world from stagnating into oblivion by letting the flame fade and Age of Dark begin, settling down to help rebuild civilization and live happy lives.
Eldritch Location: Marking the impending end of the world, Lothric's become a place where all manners of times and space converge, resulting in an amalgamation of long-gone kingdoms smushing up against each other.
Establishing Character Moment: Dunstan's first interaction with Gwyndolin is a pretty good summation of his Jerk with a Heart of Gold tendencies. He's pretty curious about the Dark Sun, so he casually attacks Gwynevere's illusion and chases the god down the endless corridor to rip his mask away, only to get mortified when he sees how young Gwyndolin is. Yes, the Ashen One can be pretty cold and insensitive when pursuing his goal, but he does have a softer side when he truly gets to know somebody.
Faction Motto: Various royals and factions have short, concise phrases encapsulating their personal philosophies.
- Gwyndolin: "Facimus lucem nostram"/"We make our own light", referring both to his determination to usher humanity through the Age of Dark and his departure from solitude.
- Miquella and Eira: "Vita exolutus"/"Life unbound", referring both to their compassion for all and their resolve to respect the free will of their subjects.
- Morgott: "Radicata firmiter"/"Firmly rooted", referring both to his own and Leyndell's resilience in the face of all they've endured.
- The Way of White: "Vereor nox"/"I fear the night", referring to their wholehearted endorsement of Gwyn's Age of Fire.
Fire of Comfort: During Gwyndolin's stay in Leyndell, the Elden Ring cast set up bonfires at various times to celebrate in a manner familiar to him. Likewise, the characters of Dark Souls III gather around fires for warmth and camaraderie.
Foreshadowing: To beef up Gwyndolin's repetoire of spells, Eira pulls out a chest from beneath her bed stuffed full of things she found but couldn't use. An astonished Gwyndolin asks if she's got all the Lands Between's valuables in there, to which she responds "more or less". She later digs out a Golden Seed for Miquella to grow his new Haligtree.
From Bad to Worse: The prologue in a nutshell. Gwyndolin starts out burdened with the increasingly hopeless task of maintaining the Age of Fire. Then Sulyvahn poisons him. Then Sulyvahn overthrows him. Then Aldrich comes along. Fortunately things get better from there, but sheesh.
The Glomp: Gwyndolin's reunions with Yorshka and Eira have both parties throw themselves at each other for a giant hug.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Inverted with Eira and Gwyndolin tag-teaming Aldrich, as she's physically stronger while he's flinging long-range sorceries.
He Cleans Up Nicely: Inverted with Gwyndolin's divine regalia since it doesn't fit his true self at all — Dunstan comments on his golden ornaments looking like shackles rather than jewelry and Yorshka was terrified by his sun crown because it hid her brother's face and made him look robotic and unfeeling. When Gwyndolin is dressed as a mere knight, both of them think the humble garments suit him much better.
Hellhole Prison: Whatever it was like pre-Sulyvahn, Irithyll Dungeon has definitely become this in the aftermath of his coup. So many people have been tortured in it the very air smells of pain. It's so awful that Dunstan would rather be in Farron swamp.
Heroic BSoD: Miquella quickly collects himself after Malenia falls into a coma, but when everything is over he spends the next few days alternately crying in Eira’s arms and laying there totally numb.
Hope Spot: Miquella manages to cast off the Formless Mother's remaining influence, make unalloyed golden needles again, get one to Malenia, and have a joyful reunion with his twin. Then her hand goes limp.
I Have Your Wife: In the first chapter, when Gwyndolin and his Darkmoon Knights confront Sulyvahn, he simply says he has Yorshka. Too weak to battle and unwilling to risk the consequences to his beloved sister if he loses, Gwyndolin immediately surrenders.
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: The story is divided into three parts: Erdlight, Firelight, and Own-Light.
Important Haircut: In the Lands Between, cutting your hair indicates mourning. Gwyndolin decides it's quite appropriate, as he's saying goodbye to his former self and preparing himself to destroy the cause he devoted his whole life to uphold.
In Spite of a Nail:
- Aldrich still puppets Gwyndolin in battle against an undead come to kill him, albeit temporarily.
- Lothric still insists on fighting the Ashen One after learning of his wish to snuff the Flame, as he wants to test Dunstan's resolve and check it will hold no matter what.
Internal Reveal: The audience and other characters have been long-aware of Yorshka's unwitting role in Sulyvahn's coup by the time the girl herself learns it.
Ironic Echo: Lin's memories of Gwyn feature him expressing the desire to be "of use" to his father. Much later, he hears Yorshka say that to him, realizes she probably picked the phrase up from him, and becomes deeply distressed she might think she's only loved if she's useful. This helps him realize his deep-seated beliefs about himself are wrong as well.
Just a Kid: Dunstan's reaction when he first met Gwyndolin, after he lifted the god's crown. Centuries later, the undead is still shaken to remember how small the Dark Sun had been.
Karmic Death:
- Aldrich is killed by his intended meal because he wanted to play with his food.
- Likewise, the very man Sulyvahn tried feeding to Aldrich returns to reunite him with his master in hell.
Kick the Dog: During Yorshka’s captivity, Sulyvahn gives her a severed finger and tells her it’s her brother’s.
Lady and Knight: Dunstan and Yorshka are a platonic example; he delays his journey for a couple of months to protect her tower from Sulyvahn's knights.
Let the Past Burn: Miquella's final step in confronting his past is returning to his Haligtree, the instrument of salvation he himself corrupted and ruined, and setting it on fire.
Loophole Abuse: One of the three Leyndell royals has to remain in the capital at all times, so their citizens don't worry about their leadership up and vanishing again. At one point, that rule prevents Eira from journeying with Miquella and Morgott to plant the new Haligtree when she really wants to go. So she points out that if the public thinks she's there that's good enough, and Morgott can make really convincing projections...
Modest Royalty: Gwyndolin and Yorshka live in a humble manor very unlike Anor Londo's lavish opulence, dress rather simply if given the choice, do their housework themselves and personally help their worshipers. Dunstan muses he likes them more for that than when they were aloof, unreachable deities.
Mood Whiplash: The euphoria of Malenia's awakening is immediately followed by her going comatose in Miquella's arms and her brother destroying the Haligtree in furious grief.
Mundanger: Both realms are home to magic, dragons, demigods, and Lovecraftian horrors. As he accepts the necessity of the Age of Dark, Gwyndolin's concerns become primarily focused on how humanity is even going to survive; things once taken for granted, like light and food, can no longer be certain without the sun.
My God, What Have I Done?: Dunstan accidentally clues Yorshka into her role in Gwyndolin’s suffering by mentioning the latter was poisoned, not ill. When he realizes she didn’t know that, he’s pretty miserable about enlightening her.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!:
- Savoring his meal gets Aldrich killed, as it gives Eira time to come to Gwyndolin’s aid.
- In his battle, Aldrich creates a Rain of Arrows from Gwyndolin’s magic. Gwyndolin adopts the idea and uses it against Aldrich’s dragon, Sulyvahn.
- Sulyvahn is killed by a spell Gwyndolin would never have learned if he hadn’t gone to the Lands Between to recover from his coup.
Not Quite Saved Enough: Miquella gets an unalloyed golden needle to Malenia in time to halt her scarlet rot and save her life, but it's taken over so much of her body that she falls into a coma.
"Not So Different" Remark: As he's venting his spleen to Siegward, Dunstan realizes this is why he ultimately sympathizes with Gwyndolin. Both of them were deemed rejects and weaklings, yet at the end of the line, they're the ones saddled with the task to clean the mess left by the Gods.
One-Winged Angel: Sulyvahn sprouts a pair of black, branchlike wings and creates a clone of himself during the climax of his battle with Gwyndolin.
People Puppets: Aldrich manages to capture Gwyndolin in the second half of the fight and forces him to use his magic against Eira.
Post-Nightmare Comfort:
- Miquella holds Eira after she wakes up from a nightmare about failing to save Gwyndolin.
- Lin gets this often. Ragna and the other Hornsent children dogpile him whenever he has one of his ash dreams, Eira holds his hands when he has a nightmare about Aldrich, and it’s mentioned that when he was young, after a bad dream Gwynhael would press him to his heart.
Prophecy Twist: Gwyndolin's darkmoon birth was interpreted as a sign that the Age of Fire was coming to an end, and Gwyndolin would be the one to bring it about. While true, it does not, as he and his father feared, herald the end of life, but the salvation of it.
Psychic Link: Besides sustaining the Lands Between, the Elden Ring spiritually links Eira, Miquella, and Morgott in lordship, though Miquella alone has access to the Ring itself. Eira and Morgott use this link to draw off the Formless Mother, and Miquella repays them by dropping into their shared mindscape in dragon form and burning the Formless Mother to ash.
Put on a Bus: Malenia falls into a coma after Miquella stops the advance of her scarlet rot.
Rage Breaking Point: Miquella goes from 0 to 50 on burning the Haligtree after Malenia falls into a coma; realizing his twin suffered the most from his Terrible Thing is simply too much for someone whose nerves are already scraped raw.
So it is that he does not cross the final threshold, but rather flings himself past it.
The Reveal: In Chapter 9, a sparring match between Morgott and Miquella is cut short when Miquella unexpectedly rakes the air with a bloodflame incantation, revealing that 1) he's still wrestling with the Formless Mother and 2) he's losing.
Rightful King Returns: Part II revolves around Gwyndolin's return to Irithyll to free it from Sulyvahn and bring his people into the Age of Dark.
Rule of Symbolism:
- The twisted, rotting Haligtree is seen by Miquella as the symbol of how his good intentions went horribly wrong and how he failed the very people he wanted to save.
- Gwyndolin's sun-crown and royal regalia are strongly associated with chains, self-inflicted in a hopeless attempt to live up to his father's expectations.
- Miquella, Eira, and Morgott invoke this by planting the new Haligtree at the Cave of Knowledge, a place of possibility and rebirth.
Screw Destiny: Attempted by Gwyn, who defied the omen that a darkmoon birth heralded the end of the Age of Fire by trying to mold Gwyndolin into someone more palatable for his worldview. As Morgott hints the Age of Dark might be necessary, Gwyndolin's insecurities drive him to shout he "won't be a prophecy".
Significant Wardrobe Shift: Gwyndolin discarding his elaborate robes and golden ornaments for more practical, comfortable clothes showcases his progression, as he breaks free from his father's worldview and grows more at ease with himself.
Sneaky Departure: When the time comes for him to return to Irithyll, Lin tries to leave Leyndell in the dead of night because he can't bear an emotional parting with his True Companions. Key word tries—their security alerts them to his movements, so they meet him at the gate between their worlds and have an emotional parting anyway.
Take a Third Option: Gwyndolin has believed for a long time that he was doomed to watch the world slowly crumbling, or to sacrifice himself to the Flame as kindling. His recovery in the Lands Between help him to understand he also can usher the Age of Dark.
Tears of Joy: Gwyndolin weeps unashamedly upon entering the Lands Between for the first time, as that's when it truly sinks in that he is finally free of Aldrich.
This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself:
- Dunstan's opinion about Gwyndolin fighting Sulyvahn and then the Soul of Cinder, as the god needs the fighting to put his demons at rest.
- Accepting this is part of Eira's character development. From her own experiences she knows that sometimes people need to do things themselves for themselves, but that doesn’t make it easier for her to allow her loved ones to face danger without her.
Time Skip: A year-long one occurs between Parts II and III.
Total Eclipse of the Plot: The sun is not in a good state in Lothric; it's totally dark, whatever's blocking it is explicitly not the moon, and the corona around its edges is melting. It's a grim reminder of how little time the cast has left to fix things.
Trauma Button: Poor Gwyndolin can't eat for a while without thinking of Aldrich chewing up his snakes.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Yorshka was just worried about Gwyndolin's terrifying ash nightmares, so she sought someone who could help. Unfortunately, that someone was Sulyvahn, who took advantage of her trust to poison her brother and incite a coup.
Villain of Another Story: The Formless Mother has history with Miquella and Eira, having once abducted the former to groom him as a replacement for Mohg, only to be thwarted by the latter at the cost of Millicent’s life.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: Miquella gained the ability to shapeshift into a golden, four-winged dragon after his ascension, which he puts to good use against the Formless Mother.
Wham Episode: Chapter 16. Malenia awakens but falls into a coma moments later, Miquella burns the Haligtree in grief-fueled rage, and Gwyndolin resolves to put out the First Flame.
What a Senseless Waste of Human Life: This is Dunstan's reaction to killing Prince Lothric, who showed himself to be noble, sharp-tongued, and wasn't even opposed to an Age of Dark. But alas, he was a Lord of Cinder, so off to the kiln he had to go.
What the Hell Are You?: This is Lin's amazed question after Eira arrives out of the blue, battles Aldrich, and explains she came from another world.
When Trees Attack: Discussed. Eira and Dunstan reminisce about dying to an Erdtree Avatar and the Curse-rotted Greatwood, respectively.
Wizard Duel: Gwyndolin's confrontation with Sulyvahn is one, with the former wielding all kinds of spells and the latter mixing Hellfire, magical blasts, and Self-Duplication with swordplay.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Morgott still drags a huge lack of self-esteem with him, consequence of millennia spent indoctrinated. Eira firmly reminds him of his virtues when she thinks he's too depressed.
Your Normal Is Our Taboo: Gwyndolin is startled by the discovery that fire, sacred in his land, was until recently heretical in the Lands Between, while Morgott is shocked that anyone could consider fire good. Likewise, the bestial traits that Morgott was shunned for wouldn't get more than a cursory glance in Irithyll. This exposure to different cultures and the ensuing debates helps both reconsider the millennia-long prejudices instilled in them.
Your Worst Memory: The Formless Mother absolutely does not have to settle for pouring salt in your wounds. Miquella is hammered with images of what he did, Morgott is attacked by everyone who shamed him, and Eira has to relive all her deaths.

Tropes applying to A Very Gentle Place

After-Action Healing Drama: There's a frantic rush to save Yorshka when she's near-fatally wounded shielding her brother from Friede.
After-Action Patch-Up: Upon her return from Archdragon Peak, Eira’s bruised ribs are tended by Miquella, leading to a quiet moment between the couple.
Ancestral Weapon: Priscilla's Lifehunt Scythe, which is rediscovered and wielded by her daughter Yorshka.
Animal Eye Spy: The Nameless King observes Eira's progress up Archdragon Peak through the resident rock lizards, wyverns, and man-serpents.
Apocalyptic Log: While exploring world's end, Dunstan and Gwyndolin come across two short sentences scrawled on a fountain which, nonetheless, provide key information about how the Bad Future happened.
Attack on the Heart: How Gael dies. Dunstan straight-up rips his heart out of his chest.
Babies Ever After: Elisabet and Dunstan have a daughter in the final chapter
Bad Future: Dark Souls being what it is, it's not quite as clear-cut as that, and the cast don't actually visit it themselves...but "world's end", which they chase Gael to, seems to be set after one of these. In it, Dunstan, desiring to save Gwyndolin's life, dug up the First Flame. It was supposed to be temporary, but he was unable to return it, leading to his unwilling transformation into the Lord of Hollows and dooming Lothric to die in the Dark.
Barrier Maiden: Filianore sealed away the Ringed City's time and its Dark within herself.
The Beastmaster: Yorshka displays a knack for taming wolves, most notably the Gravetender Greatwolf.
Bittersweet Ending: Lin's remaining lifespan and vitality have been drastically reduced by overwork and overexposure to corrupted Dark, he's forced to retire to more administrative tasks, and he has to part ways with Yorshka. However, it's implied he lives to at least see the next Age of Fire, he was able to reunite with his missing siblings, Yorshka can still visit, and he plans to create an organization named The Ouroboros Order that will guard the First Flame, ensuring the natural cycle of fire and dark goes on uninterrupted.
Bookends: Invoked. When he prepares to battle Gael, Dunstan sets aside his onyx blade for his trusty claymore—he used it all through Lordran, all through Lothric, so it feels fitting to use it for one last battle at world's end.
But Now I Must Go: At the end of the fic, Yorshka leaves to become the keeper of the new painted world. She promises Gwyndolin she'll visit often, but their parting is still tearful.
Call-Back: Upon being introduced to the Lands Between, Gwynhael thinks "Gods, everything is backwards here," just like his brother did in We Make Our Own Light.
Calling the Old Man Out:
- Lin mutters that if he dies he's going to have words with Gwyn after learning how the latter abandoned Filianore.
- Gwynhael was exiled because he openly critiqued Gwyn’s policies and attempts to prolong the Age of Fire.
The Cameo: Ornstein has an extended appearance after Eira's duel with the Nameless King, speaking with the former and checking on the latter.
Central Theme: Growing up and letting go.
- Lin and Yorshka offer two different perspectives of the push-and-pull of a parent watching their child grow up. On the parent’s side, there’s the temptation to restrict the child out of fear of losing them, warring with the pride of seeing them come into their own. On the child’s, there’s the frightening sensation of leaving behind the comforting and familiar, but also the budding excitement to spread their wings.
- Multiple characters have to let go of things that shackle them before they can move forward with their lives. Sirris is freed of her familial and personal shame only when she renounces them. By letting go of her fear of fire and personal hopelessness, Friede is finally able to start the new life she wanted. Once Vilhelm stops hollowing to escape his painful past, he’s able to realize how much of life he’s been missing by numbing himself. Finally, the only way Lin can live is by changing his bad habits and releasing the fear he'll become an invalid if he accepts help.
Chekhov's Gun: The Farron Follower torch Vilhelm loots is used roughly a dozen chapters later to bring some of Ariandel's fire to the dying Gwyndolin, stabilizing him.
The Chessmaster: Gael's plan is incredibly layered: create pigment from Dark to save the painted world, save Lothric from the Dark, and save Dunstan from becoming the Lord of Hollows. To enact it, he dangles knowledge in front of the cast to get them to chase him, flees first to the painted world so they'll find and stop Friede, then again to the Dreg Heap so they'll obtain the knowledge needed to set up a guard around the First Flame, kill him and bring the Dark he's collected to the painter. He pulls it off without a hitch.
“He meant for Dunstan to finish the work and help to create a new world, held in reserve in case someone like him breaks the original. A lesson and a redemption all in one. The old man knew what he was doing.”
Combat Breakdown: Reflecting their mental states, Gael and Dunstan's battle starts with them using some strategy, spirals into them fighting like mindless hollows, and ends with the raw brutality of Dunstan tearing Gael's heart from his chest.
Composite Character: Ornstein is the King of Storms, having transformed into a dragon out of sheer loyalty to Gwynhael.
Damned by Faint Praise: When Gwynhael sees that Lin's serpents are gone, he asks if Gwyn cut them off. Lin quickly rebuffs this, but the only thing he can add in their father's defense is "he would not raise his sword against me"
Dead Guy Junior: Dunstan names his newborn son Laurent, after the friend who first taught him pyromancy, Laurentius.
Dead Person Conversation: After finding Filianore, Gwyndolin almost succumbs to his failing heart. While comatose, his soul comes to the border of life and death, where he finds Gwyn waiting for him. They only exchange a few words, but their brief conversation showcases the shift in their relationship: Gwyn acknowledges Lin as a son for the first time and invites him to rest, while Lin firmly says he still has things to do and turns away.
Dramatic Irony: Gwynhael's amnesia was self-inflicted to cope with the strain of war; afraid of going hollow, he locked up the most precious parts of himself to protect them from the decay of time. He did this so well, he became unable to retrieve said parts and lost himself in a different way.
Dude, Not Funny!: At one point, Eira makes a joke about dying in front of Miquella. He doesn't vocally react, but his face reminds Eira that he doesn't like those jokes, since he's already lost too many people.
Duels Decide Everything: Justified. Eira doesn't know if there will be another opportunity to bring the Nameless King back to his brother, so she has to win the duel. The King himself lives only for fighting at that point and will only cede to one he considers worthy.
Elite Army: Every single one of the Ensemble Cast, save Yorshka, comes together to battle Darkeater Midir.
Fastball Special: One point of the battle with Midir sees Gwynhael tossing Eira into the air so she can rain lightning from above.
Fate Worse than Death: Since nothing can die in Ariandel while it’s rotting, Vilhelm resurrects after his battle with Dunstan… in a cell full of giant, blood-sucking mosquitoes, struggling to breath through his still-Slashed Throat, and without any way to escape his situation. Dunstan and Gwyndolin are absolutely horrified when they discover him and set up some torches to keep the mosquitoes away.
Fling a Light into the Future: Gael intends to create a new painted world for people to shelter in, should the end of the world come. He also knows he'll never see it, since success requires his death.
Foreshadowing:
- The Nameless King is comforted by the sight of Leyndell, as it reminds him of Anor Londo. He chooses to make it his new home at the end of the fic.
- When he first picks up a torch from a Farron follower, Vilhelm unleashes a gout of flame by experimentally blowing on it. This hints it's no ordinary torch, but a pyromancy catalyst.
- Dunstan and Miquella frequently raise concerns about Lin's weak heart, to the latter's annoyance. Said heart almost gives out because Lin ignores their concerns and keeps piling undue stress on himself.
Foul Medicine: Discussed and subverted. When he agrees to lifestyle changes, Gwyndolin tells Miquella he does not want to drink one of these every day, and the latter reassures him the tonic he has in mind is quite tolerable.
From Bad to Worse: Dunstan does not have a good day in Ariandel. First he gets impaled by birch-women, then he falls off a cliff, then he's attacked by a Corvian Knight.
Genre Shift: We Make Our Own Light was a character-driven narrative focused around a tight cast, while A Very Gentle Place is a sprawling action-adventure with a large cast.
Heroic BSoD: When Yorshka is wounded protecting him, all Gwyndolin can do is numbly repeat "she saved me" and think about how her blood is all over him.
Heroic RRoD: Deconstructed. Throughout the fic, Lin suffers breathing problems, sprains an ankle, makes it worse by insisting he walk on it, is drained by the Dark around him, and repeatedly overtaxes himself with magic. By the time the group fights Darkeater Midir he's barely able to stand, and pretending he's fine afterwards results in everyone putting their feet down. When he finally allows Miquella to perform a check-up, the god gently tells him that he's worsened his chronic illness and that he has to accept his bodily limits to have a long and happy life.
His Name Is...: Inverted. The messages discovered at world's end inform Dunstan and Lin very clearly that the former became the Lord of Hollows, they just both instantly go into denial.
I Cannot Self-Terminate: When Gwynhael mentally reaches out to Midir, he just barely hears Midir begging for death amidst the storm of Dark overtaking him.
I Choose to Stay: Gwynhael decides to permanently move to the Lands Between in the epilogue, having been enraptured by the new adventures the other realm offers, and wishing to get to know the counterparts to his world's dragons. He still comes to visit Lin regularly though.
Journey to the Center of the Mind: In the climax of the first arc, Lin and Trina undertake a journey into Gwynhael's mind to restore his memories.
Laser-Guided Amnesia: When she became the Barrier Maiden of the Ringed City, Filianore sealed away her siblings' memories of her so they wouldn't be pained by her loss.
Late-Arrival Spoiler: Part II of WMOOL was driven by the efforts of the Dark Souls 3 cast to bring the Age of Dark, despite various adversities. The first chapter of AVGP spoils they succeeded.
Let's Split Up, Gang!:
- Early in the story, Gwyndolin is confronted with several orders of important business, which he and his friends divide amongst themselves. He, Dunstan and Yorshka go to Ariandel in pursuit of Gael; Eira and Morgott travel to Archdragon Peak to answer the Nameless King's summons; and Sirris and Amalie follow a lead on Gwynevere to Lothric Castle.
- After deciding a group of six is too large to effectively search for Filianore's church, the heroes explore the Ringed City in pairs: Dunstan and Gwyndolin, Eira and Miquella, and Sirris and Amalie.
Long-Lost Relative: Gwyndolin is horrified to discover that Princess Filianore is yet another sibling forsaken by their father.
Lying to Protect Your Feelings: Miquella hides Gwynhael's amnesiac state and presence in Leyndell from Lin, since he thought it would upset him, and downplays the dangers in dream-walking because of how much he wants to restore Lin's brother to him.
Mad Oracle: Gael, maybe. Dunstan wonders if he's foresighted, which would certainly explain some things, but it's never explicitly stated. That said, while he is quite mad by the end, it’s because his efforts to prepare pigment have taken a toll on his sanity, rather than whatever visions he may or may not have seen.
Mama Bear: Priscilla's last act was sending her daughter to Anor Londo, even with her murderer closing in on her.
Morton's Fork: If Filianore's egg isn't broken, the accumulated Dark within it will eventually kill her. If her egg is broken, Filianore's stored time will rush out all at once and kill her. Fortunately, Farum Azula exists outside of time.
Muscles Are Meaningless: Subverted. Eira's seen battling unencumbered while carrying Miquella on her back, despite being a Faith/Dex build in game terms, but her POV reveals he's magicked himself weightless.
My God, What Have I Done?: The fight immediately goes out of Friede when she accidentally injures Yorshka, who leaps in front of a blow meant for Lin.
Noble Wolf: The greatwolf of Ariandel, who takes it upon himself to protect Yorshka after she befriends him.
Original Position Fallacy: Dunstan sourly comments that Vilhelm was perfectly happy to let Ariandel rot, until the rot took him.
Passing the Torch: In accordance with the Central Theme, Gwyndolin appoints Sirris the new captain of the Darkmoon Knights before stepping down.
Please Wake Up: Eira frantically shakes her husband and calls his name when she sees him dying from Trina's dream-injury. He wakes up after she kisses him, but if she hadn't been there he really would have died.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Their clothing doesn't reflect it, since they're wearing the same uniform, but Amalie and Sirris have this dynamic. Amalie is vivacious, optimistic, and a bit careless, while Sirris is reserved, diligent, and overly strict.
Rite-of-Passage Name Change: It's mentioned that in the painted world, names are sacred and not given to children until they've started to display signs of who they'll be as adults. Thus, Yorshka being nameless when she fled Ariandel wasn't an indication of Parental Abuse, it just meant she was too young to have received her name.
Seen It All: In the Lands Between, the laws of reality are a ring made up of runes carried around in someone's body. Believing that Trina is the part of Miquella that walks in dreams is easy for Lin.
Shapeshifter Guilt Trip: Creatures made of humanity, and spellcasters wielding it, are able to scan their opponents' minds for emotional weakpoints, then clad themselves appropriately. One humanity monster hones in on Miquella's Old Shame by transforming into Radahn, while Sirris spends a good chunk of time haunted by a humanity-Hodrick.
Significant Wardrobe Shift: Yorshka has exchanged her flowing gowns and loose hair for sturdy leathers and a braid, reflecting her increased practicality and ability to defend herself.
Slashed Throat: Dunstan kills Vilhelm with this. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't stick.
Staging an Intervention: After almost dying in the battle with Midir, Gwyndolin makes the mistake of insisting he's fine. This is too much for his True Companions, as every single one rebukes him for the constant disregard for his health, laying out all the times he's done so when he tries to argue. It's Vilhelm who delivers the finishing blow—if a near-stranger, who doesn't even like Lin, is telling him he's going to break his sister's heart by sending himself into an early grave, then it's past time he listened.
Starting a New Life: Friede came to the Painted World in the hopes of doing this. Then it began to rot. She later successfully begins a new life as Yorshka’s guardian.
Stealth Mentor: In the end, Dunstan realizes that Gael’s unhelpful answers and dropped hints were meant to save not just the world, but Dunstan himself. The knowledge he uncovered while pursuing Gael forced Dunstan to acknowledge his Fatal Flaw, ensuring he wouldn't start down the path that led to his own demise.
The Swarm: Ariandel has giant, blood-sucking mosquitoes that attack in droves. The charnel pit in particular is infested with them.
Take a Third Option: Morgott resolves Filianore's Morton's Fork by taking her to a place outside of time—Farum Azula.
Thanatos Gambit: Gael is well-aware that the process of creating pigment for the Painter will leave him in such a bad state, he won’t have enough presence of mind to bring it to her. Therefore, he lures Dunstan and co. to the world’s end, ensuring they can put him down and take the pigment from his corpse.
Throwing Down the Gauntlet: In the first chapter, the Nameless King sends Eira a dueling challenge, his interest having been piqued by rumors of her red lightning.
Two Girls and a Guy: Yorshka and her eventual True Companions Vilhelm and Friede form such a trio.
Villainous BSoD: Friede spends several chapters basically catatonic after unintentionally wounding Yorshka.
Wham Line: "The Lord of Hollows walked among us. The dark stone is the Lord of Hollows."
When Trees Attack: The birch-women in Ariandel, who appear to be silent, harmless trees until they have a suitable moment to ambush their victims.
Wild Magic: In the Age of Dark, which enhances the natural abilities of mankind, large concentrations of humanity are volatile magical forces latching onto the emotions of those nearby. It's a powerful branch of magic to tap into, but spellcasters run the risk of losing control, and the pockets themselves can attack a person with their own emotional baggage.
You Remind Me of X:
- Yorshka sees a lot of her brother in sad, lonely Friede, which is why she tries to save her.
- Part of Vilhelm's resentment towards Yorshka is seeing too much of the former Wide-Eyed Idealist who got his friends killed in her.
Your Mind Makes It Real: Trina warns Gwyndolin that violence inflicted in dreams can have backlash on their bodies. While he doesn't lose the corresponding limb, the mental shock of his counterpart's arm being ripped off does almost kill Miquella.

Tropes applying to Woven Anew

Extremely Short Timespan: In contrast to the Flashback B-Plot, which follows the heroines from childhood to adulthood, the present-day plot occurs over the course of a few days.
Fish out of Temporal Water: Filianore has to deal with this after being reawakened, as she struggles to process all that's happened in the aeons she'd been asleep.
Flashback B-Plot: The plotline of Shira and Filianore trying to find their place in Lothric is interspersed with flashbacks to their lives in Anor Londo, beginning with their first meeting and culminating with their departure for the Ringed City.
I Am What I Am: During her stay in Farum Azula, Shira slowly comes to accept her dragon heritage as part of who she is rather than decrying herself as an abomination.
Late-Arrival Spoiler: The very summary of the fic spoils that Filianore survived AVGP.
Odd Name Out: Filianore is the only one of Gwyn's children to not have "Gwyn" in her name, reflecting her illegitimate birth.
Riddle for the Ages: The reason Gwyn promised to return for Filianore. Did he genuinely mean it at the time, but changed his mind? Was it a gentle lie to soothe her as she fell asleep? Or a manipulative tactic to ensure she cooperated with his plans? At the end of the day, it's impossible to know for sure.
Slept Through the Apocalypse: Multiple ones, actually. It contributes to Filianore's sense of unreality and dazed readjustments.
Stealth Mentor: Placidusax subtly guides Shira into coming to terms with her dragon heritage. At one point, he outright drops the "stealth" part entirely and directly intervenes when she has a nightmare.
Uriah Gambit: It devastates Filianore when she realizes Gwyn sent her and Shira to the Ringed City not because he was entrusting them with an important duty, but because he wanted to get rid of them.
When Trees Attack: The climax of the fic involves Shira and Filianore being attacked by living tree roots and living vines, respectively.

Tropes applying to May All Things Flourish

Abusive Precursors: Before Marika, there were the jar butchers. Initially a sect of the horned folk, they rose to power and abused it by rounding people up and torturing them for use in their jar rituals, all for the purpose of reaching divinity.
Adaptation Expansion: WorldSinger invokedhas said that one purpose behind the fic was to explore the blank spots in Shadow of the Erdtree’s lore, and boy does she.
- The most significant one is about the vow between Miquella and Radahn, which comes up at the last minute in the DLC and doesn’t have the context or motivations behind it provided. Here, Radahn’s relationship with the twins, especially Miquella, is significantly fleshed out; multiple reminisces show him being a Cool Big Bro to his frailer half-siblings, with the aforementioned vow being Radahn’s promise to help the terrified Miquella make a perfect world.
- The game mentions there were ascetics called curseblades who were shunned and imprisoned before Marika invaded, but nothing more. The author gives more details on their beliefs and conflict with the jar butchers, as she felt Hornsent culture was too homogenous otherwise.
- In the game, Ansbach is presented as an unambiguously good figure despite still being loyal to Mohg and being implied to have quite the checkered past. While he's still an ally here, he also openly admits his sins, shares his worldview and where it differed from Mohg’s, and explains why he remained loyal despite Mohg’s deteriorating mental state.
Adaptational Context Change:
- The portal to the Scadulands is still Miquella's cocoon, but Leda doesn't present herself after Mohg's defeat, because Miquella ordered her to keep Eira out. When Eira, prompted by Trina, returns there, she finds Leda standing guard and has to sneak past her.
- The battle with the Dancing Lion is recontextualized as a Dance-Off testing Eira's worthiness to carry the Mending Rune of the Crucible.
Adaptational Explanation:
- In the source material, there were hints that Miquella was Torrent's prior owner, but no details as to how, if true, the latter ended up with Melina. Here, the connection is confirmed, with Torrent having abandoned Miquella once he started down his dark path.
- In the game, Radahn and Malenia's reasons for dueling remains a big question mark. The fic's explanation is that Radahn reneged on his promise to Miquella because, as he grew up, he realized it was made in youthful ignorance and wasn’t actually possible to fulfill, and that Miquella, who was in denial, sent Malenia to force him to honor it.
Animal Eye Spy: The nascent butterflies are Miquella's.
Armor-Piercing Question: Eira poses one to Morgott when he refuses to touch the mending rune of the crucible:
Eira: You’re afraid. Afraid there’s no light in you, or that there is?
Battle Amongst the Flames: All the bloodflame Mohg is flinging about gradually sets the hall alight; avoiding the flames and enduring the heat become additional obstacles for the heroes.
Benevolent Conspiracy: Foreseeing that Marika's hate would twist the world, Godfrey and his Crucible Knights labored in secret to find a way to set things right. The Mending Rune of the Crucible is the fruit of their labors. The original plan was for Godfrey to place it in the Elden Ring, but since he hasn't been seen in so long and things are getting so bad, Cambria bestows it upon Eira instead.
Body Horror: What Miquella does to himself is neither pretty nor metaphorical. His lungs are described as exposed when he peels off his flesh, so he's literally traveling around skinless and one-armed.
The Chase: Eira's plotline centers on her pursuit of Miquella as the Empyrean she wants to head her new order. Her hunt takes her north to the Haligtree, underground to Mohgwyn Palace, and finally into and across the Scadulands.
Chekhov's Gun: To abandon his doubts, Miquella anchors them in a painful childhood memory, which he manifests and drops at one of his crosses. Several chapters later, Eira comes across it, touches it, and witnesses said memory.
Combat Compliment: During her battle with Mohg, Eira leaps over a low sweep, lands on his trident's haft, and balances there. Mohg laughs and tells her she'd make a fine knight for Mohgwyn.
Comfort the Dying: Recurs as one of the ways the heroes defy their forebears' cruelty. Eira soothes what jar victims she can by singing to and holding them, while Millicent stays with the Black Knight she just fatally wounded at his request.
Create Your Own Villain: Once upon a time, there was a simple girl named Marika who lived peacefully in a small village. One day, the Hornsent torched it, abducted its inhabitants and tortured them for use in their jar rituals. Marika, the Sole Survivor, set out to make them pay, and boy, did she succeed.
Dance-Off: The Dancing Lions were originally used for ritualistic dance ceremonies. One of them does eventually have to land a hit on the other, but the primary purpose was to allow the participants show off their power, improvision, and creativity. Eira is absolutely delighted.
The Dead Have Names: Random civilians and minor bosses are treated compassionately and given the chance to display personalities, remorse, doubt, and so on. This highlights that the wars’ participants and victims were not faceless masses, but ordinary people caught up in their leaders’ affairs.
Despotism Justifies the Means: Long before Marika invaded, a faction of Hornsent desiring to become gods came to power. Because they held that reaching the apex of the spiral was all that mattered, they dismissed the world itself as unimportant and were willing to commit whatever sins they thought were necessary to ascend. The resulting regime was as horrific as can be expected, and started the chain of events leading to said invasion.
Dying Alone: Discussed. Roderika stayed with Hewg because she didn't want him to suffer this. Likewise, Millicent and Eira agree this would be a horrible way to die.
Enemy Mine: Morgott only helps Eira because her immediate goals happen to align with his: defending Leyndell, confronting Mohg, and unearthing the truth of the Scadulands.
Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: At the end of Chapter 11, Miquella grows increasingly puzzled as he flips through his butterflies in search of Eira; she's not at Leyndell, not Mohgwyn Palace, not the Haligtree, not anywhere in the Lands...Between...
Fantastic Racism:
- Marika's personal feelings about many of the species persecuted by the Golden Order aren't known, though at best she was indifferent to the atrocities committed against them. The one exception, though? The Hornsent. She was very invested in making them suffer as much as possible. She hated them so much she abandoned two of her own sons just for being born with horns.
- Thanks to the war Marika waged against them, the Hornsent hate the Erdtree and its faithful. Their hatred is so strong they make no distinction between those who are actually part of the Golden Order and those who are also persecuted by it, such as the Tarnished.
Foe Romance Subtext: Though he observes everyone in the Lands Between, Miquella spends the most time watching Eira, who he admires, finds beautiful, and thinks about to comfort himself…much to his irritation. His inability to get her out of his head disturbs him, to the point he outright considers her a “temptation.” Of course, given this is a prequel, we all know how that turns out.
Four-Temperament Ensemble: Covered by the main characters.
- Sanguine: Eira, the lively, warm and adventurous All-Loving Hero often running headfirst into trouble.
- Choleric: Miquella, the charismatic, passionate and stubborn visionary steamrolling anything in his path.
- Melancholic: Morgott, the aloof, pessimistic and dutiful sentinel struggling against his shame.
- Phlegmatic: Millicent, the placid, cautious and level-headed confidant providing emotional support.
Great Offscreen War: The Erdtree's people and the Hornsent warred long ago, with the Hornsent losing. As the characters travel through the Scadulands, they come across various marks the war left behind.
Handshake Refusal: Leda ignores Eira's hand when the latter sticks it out during their first meeting.
Hellhole Prison: The first place Millicent and Morgott find in the Scadulands? The Belurat Gaol, aka one of the places where jar rituals were conducted. They're completely pale when they emerge.
Heroic BSoD: The sight of the fabled Haligtree rotting, its lord long-gone, temporarily crushes Eira's spirit, and she spends her time there in a depressed heap. Millicent's the one who actually does the exploring.
Horrifying the Horror: When Morgott and Mohg discovered the Frenzied Flame, the latter was already in the Formless Mother's thrall. He was still frozen in dread; Morgott notes sealing it was one of the few things they agreed on by the end.
Internal Reveal: The circumstances of Miquella's disappearance and the contradiction of his recent actions with what she's heard of him puzzle and worry Eira. Since he's one of the POV characters, the audience already knows the answers to those mysteries; the tension instead comes from waiting for Eira to find out.
I've Come Too Far:
- This is why Miquella stubbornly resists Trina pushing him towards Eira; he's sacrificed too much and too many in this last, desperate gambit to ascend. To turn away now is unthinkable.
- Eira herself won't even contemplate the idea Miquella's dead or unwilling to cooperate, because it would mean she burned the Erdtree, the Roundtable, and Melina for nothing.
Just Following Orders: One of the Black Knights uses this excuse when confronted, implicitly because if he accepts his responsibility in what he and his fellows did, he'll shatter. Millicent acknowledges the knight's turmoil even as she challenges this claim.
Kick the Morality Pet: Mohg deliberately targets Morgott's emotional wounds during their battle. Considering his patron, he probably sees it as an expression of affection.
Let's Split Up, Gang!:
- Morgott stays in Leyndell when Eira and Millicent embark for the Haligtree, as he doesn't see the point in chasing a rumor and prefers to focus on rebuilding.
- Eira, Millicent and Morgott travel through the Scadulands in two seperate groups: Eira with various members of the Miquellans, and Millicent and Morgott together. This is because Millicent had to distract Leda so Eira could sneak thorugh the portal, while Morgott was mourning his twin at the time and didn't tag along. By the time Millicent persuades him to get up and follow, Eira's trail is long cold.
Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair: The Hornsent Empire built towering cities reaching towards the heavens, reflecting their goals of ascension. Their grasping at divinity led to their downfall, as one of the little people they trod underfoot came back to haunt them. Now their empty cities are all that's left of their civilization.
Lovely Angels: Eira and Millicent are sisters-in-arms who have already adventured all over the Lands Between to make it a better place, and journey together to the Haligtree and Mohgwyn Palace.
Misdirected Outburst: Invoked. In Chapter 21, Eira beelines towards and picks a fight with Bayle, because she knows all her pent-up emotions are about to come loose and she wants a strong enemy to serve as her outlet.
Missed Him by That Much: Played for Drama when Eira unknowingly walks right past Miquella while traversing the Shadow Keep. If she'd just examined the Minor Erdtree where he was hiding, The Chase would probably have been over right then and there.
Mood Whiplash: Morgott's griping about Eira ends Chapter 3 on a somewhat humorous note. Chapter 4 starts with invokedMiquella peeling off his flesh.
Morality Pet:
- Morgott views all Omens, including himself, as a sin. Knowing exactly how traumatizing life in the Shunning Grounds is, though, he can't help but be kind to Ragna and the Omen children.
- Morgott himself is this for Mohg, who still retains affection for his brother.
Mysterious Watcher: Miquella's been keeping himself appraised of events in the Lands Between, monitoring the movements of the major players through dreams and butterflies so he can adjust his own plans accordingly. Eira's of particular interest to him.
Neck Lift: Morgott responds to Eira's Armor-Piercing Question by grabbing her by the throat and hoisting her into the air.
"Not So Different" Remark: As she recognizes that she shares the tendencies that caused Miquella to go astray, Eira thinks to herself that she might also have gone down the wrong path had things been different.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Downplayed. Leda and Freyja cut their way through Castle Ensis and defeat Rellana mostly offsceen, and without Resurrective Immortality to boot. Portions of their battles, however, are glimpsed through Leda's POV.
Past Experience Nightmare: After multiple Cruel And Unusual Deaths at Astel's hands, Eira starts having these.
Physical Memory: One of Miquella’s crosses has mist at its base. Reaching into it allows Eira to see the memory it contains.
Poor Communication Kills: Miquella's charm doesn't allow Telepathy, so he has no way of communicating with his followers except leaving clues and hoping they can figure them out...which means Eira can figure them out as well. Even worse, his followers help her pursue him, because sans Leda they don't know Miquella doesn't actually want her to find him. He's well-aware of and frustrated by this rather large flaw in his plan, and just hopes he can ascend before she catches up.
Prequel: Chronologically, May All Things Flourish is set at almost the earliest point in the series' timeline, preceded only by parts of Melina's Day in the Limelight.
Protective Charm: Trina creates and gives Eira a magical flower that will shield her from Miquella’s Charm Person abilities.
Rage Breaking Point: The pressure of saving the Lands Between and the personal tragedies she endures cause frustration, grief, anger, and stress to silently build up inside Eira. Learning Miquella abandoned Trina would be bad enough on its own, but it's made worse by causing her surpressed memories of being abandoned by her village to break free. This sends her over the edge and she runs off to fight the toughest thing she can find.
Reassigned to Antarctica: Discussed. Millicent muses that maybe Marika sent those with a natural Crucible affinity to the Scadulands to use and get rid of them.
The Remnant: Long ago, the horned folk followed ways of asceticism and discipline. When the jar rituals became popular, members of the old sect protested the new ideology’s cruel disregard for the world, but lost the ensuing power struggle and went into hiding. They serve alternately as tests and guides for Eira, urging her to unearth their people’s history so as to avoid their mistakes.
Right Under Their Noses: Where did the Crucible Knights decide to hide the mending rune to overthrow the Golden Order? Within Leyndell, the heart of the Golden Order, of course! Morgott's incensed when he finds out.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The true reason Marika invaded the Scadulands. The Hornsent horrifically butchered her hometown, so Marika butchered them in even worse ways.
Save the Villain: One of the reasons the Age of Compassion is portrayed as bad is how much a good person is ruining himself in pursuit of it; in fact, Trina outright begs Eira to save Miquella, though she can't say more than "he's gone wrong". Once Eira catches wind of how exactly he's gone wrong, her goals shift to saving him from himself.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: Hornsent's gleeful recounting of his people's glory is interrupted by Millicent grabbing him by the collar and hissing they were glorified torturers.
Hornsent: The tower's new ways were stronger than the old. Our jars never bore a true saint, I grant, but they bore us knowledge, and with that knowledge we raised the Divine Gate. The Gate opened the spiral. Divinity is bought by blood: our ways showed the truth of it—
Millicent: You did nothing but torture and slaughter. You have no cause for pride. If you wish for ascension, buy it with your own blood.
Skyward Scream: After a long, painful journey, Eira arrives at the Haligtree only to find it rotting and Miquella gone. She falls to her knees and lets out a good, hard scream.
Stealth Hi/Bye: Morgott recalls that stealth is crucial to surviving the Shunning Grounds when you're a child. Despite now being much, much larger, he hasn't lost his touch, which he shows off by silently moving away to kill an enemy Albinauric while Eira's still giving orders.
Talking in Your Dreams: Trina warns Eira about Miquella's mental state, begs for her help and points her to the Scadulands through dreams.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: A one-sided version. Morgott swings between disdain and rage when he's around Eira.
Then Let Me Be Evil: As he abandons his doubts, Miquella declares he will sacrifice himself, Eira, and even Radahn before he stops, marking the moment he embraces being a Dark Messiah. He proves good on it by abandoning Trina immediately after.
Throwing the Distraction: Millicent throws a fire pot to draw Leda’s attention, allowing Eira to sneak past her and access the portal to the Scadulands. It helps that a bunch of red Albinaurics also arrive to investigate the noise and immediately attack Leda.
Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object: The conflict between Eira (the Unstoppable Force barrelling through anything in her way) and Miquella (the Immovable Object refusing to budge from his course) boils down to two iron-willed people locking horns over whose vision for the Lands Between will triumph. The Unstoppable Force wins.
Viking Funeral: The third variant of this is a tradition for Messmer’s forces; their dead comrades are laid in funeral boats, which are then made pyres.
Villain Protagonist: The fic has one in Miquella, a major POV character, whose pursuit of godhood is central to the plot and whose ideological differences sets him at odds with Eira.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: This is why Miquella set up his own abduction; he knew some righteous hero would come along to slay the deranged cultist who abducted the poor, beautiful Empyrean, allowing Leda to abscond with said cultist's body.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: May All Things Flourish is set during a time of doubt, pain and sorrow for Eira. Millicent buoys her when these feelings weigh her down. She also encourages Morgott to reframe the way he views his Omen traits, as one curseborn to another.
Your Normal Is Our Taboo: In the prologue, Ragna is stunned when Eira offers her an entire bag of prawn. Food is so scarce in the Shunning Grounds that stealing it is as good as murder; sharing it is almost unimaginable.

To the New World

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Contains the following tropes

Alternative Title(s): We Make Our Own Light

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Fanfic / To the New World 3 Following

Contains the following tropes

Alternative Title(s): We Make Our Own Light

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To the New World

3 Following