Ymir's Questline Reveals the Horrible Reality Regarding the Two Fingers.
The Ymir's questline of Shadow of the Erdtree reveals a terrible reality about one of the base game's ending. Especially now that we know the truth about the Two Fingers and their relationship to the Greater Will, Elden Ring's Age Of Fracture ending—the ending whereby the Tarnished returns the Elden Ring to its former glory—is a horrible decision.
What Does Ymir's Questline Indicate?
Ymir's search for the Two Fingers—envoys of the Greater Will, the supreme power in Elden Ring's universe—ex probes their beginnings. Ymir's search drives the Tarnished—who created the Two Fingers—through several ruins scattered over the Land of Shadow in search of answers, finally bringing them into conflict with Metr, the Mother of Fingers.
Players find that Metyr has been out of contact with the Greater Will for centuries, thus the Two Fingers have been sending out meaningless messages. Those who depend on their guidance will thus interpret their gestures in ways that fit their own needs after defeating Metyr and claiming the Staff of the Great Beyond.
False Hope: Age of Fracture
This revelation reinterpreted the ending for the Age Of Fracture. Restoring the Elden Ring to its natural state devoid of any actual link to the Greater Will is useless, it turns out. By calling upon the name of the Greater Will, the Tarnished is essentially approving the tyranny of those in charge. It is a reconstruction based on lies, a return to the same fate that tore apart the planet initially.
The finger readers: blindly guiding the blind
Ymir's search also clarifies the Finger Readers—Enia among them—who accompany the Tarnished on their path. Although it's unclear whether the Finger Readers grasp the actual meaning of the Two Fingers' messages or if they are merely selecting to interpret them in a way that fits their own objectives, With everyone oblivious of the truth regarding the abandonment of the Greater Will, they are essentially guiding the blind.
A Dark Reality
Ymir's search reveals a brutal reality: the Greater Will left the planet. Except the Tarnished, who learns this truth by Ymir's search, everyone is blissful ignorance of this truth. This revelation clouds the Tarnished's whole path and transforms it into a pointless violent effort. The Tarnished must seek one of the alternate endings of the base game to avoid the traps of the Age of Fracture. Players might only fully grasp the consequences of the Age of Fracture ending after completing Shadow of the Erdtree, though, which could be too late for some.
