Movies News Talk
Shadow of the Erdtree explores Marika's past, exposing both her struggles and the darkness she kept under cover. Though Marika's behavior both before and after she became a god is unknown, the DLC teaser suggests a particular betrayal. Though the betrayed party's identity is yet unknown, a number of ideas have surfaced.
One popular belief holds that Marika's betrayal resulted in the victims of the Hornsent, a group of entities experimenting on her people to generate Jar Saints. Evidence from the Land Of Shadow supports this idea, including the possibility Marika herself was a successful Jar Saint. This implies a degree of proximity and trust between Marika and the Hornsent, hence their betrayal has more effect. Still, there are other readings.
Marika might have formed an alliance with the Hornsent without regard for Jar Saint status, then betrayed them at the Gate Of Divinity. This scenario shows a more strategic approach whereby Marika might have turned against the Hornsent after first manipulating them for her own benefit.
If indeed Marika's targets were the Hornsent, her reasons for betraying them most certainly derived from the trauma she observed. The cruelty of the Hornsent, experimenting on her people to produce Jar Saints, would have stoked her need for vengeance. Her suffering and search for retribution could have culminated in this treachery. Marika's treachery might have been more nuanced, involving both her own people and the Hornsent. Maybe she first sided with the Hornsent, then turned on them once she understood their whole degree of cruelty.
Although the Hornsent betrayal theory is much talked about, another interesting possibility exists involving Marika's firstborn, Messmer the Impaler. Marika's attempts to cure Messmer's illness and even her eye removal to reveal a serpent within him clearly show her love for him. Marika's choice to seal Messmer in the Land Of Shadow, so severing their bond, a possibly catastrophic betrayal, is driven by this close relationship.
Messmer's appearance in the Shadow Of The Erdtree teaser—despite not showing on screen—adds weight to this theory. The focus on Messmer in advertising tools points to a major part in the DLC story, maybe related to Marika's activities. This situation presents a picture of a personal betrayal, more powerful than the political one the Hornsent committed.
The subtleties of Elden Ring's mythology, especially in Shadow of the Erdtree, challenge players' accepted reality. Marika's actions remain subject to interpretation despite her own agenda and passing of time clouding them. Although Marika's story clearly features the Hornsent, the possibility of her treachery reaching Messmer adds still another level of complexity. It is up to the Tarnished to put the broken truth together and expose Marika's whole degree of treachery. The DLC promises a better knowledge of Marika's background, clarifying the reasons behind her acts and the actual character of her treachery.