>>529005185
>The evidence for this is the fact that, in the Land of Shadow
the Scadutree is positively overflowing with sap. That doesn't seem to be a coincidence, and why I think the Age of Plenty was what it was because of how much war was being waged. After Godfrey conquers the last to be conquered, the Age of Plenty ends. With no more sap to bestow upon her people, I think this is when Marika removed Death, as a way to give a sort of "false" Erdtree Blessing to everyone at once. This goes on for a while, and Marika gives that one speech to her comrades about looking into what the Golden Order is really about. I suspect that in going back to the roots, no pun intended, Marika discovered that Metyr has never actually been in contact with the Greater Will, and that the Two Fingers were leading her on all along for their own inscrutable motivations. That's when she sics Messemer on the Hornsent, partly as revenge, partly to make sure nobody finds out the truth about Metyr. She seals the Land of Shadow, and begins to concoct a plan to rid the world of the influence of the Elden Ring.

Unanswered questions:
Why are serpents a big part of Elden Ring lore?
Why is there ash all over Leyndell?
If the Black Knife women were of the same stock as Marika, which they were, was Marika in on the plot to kill Godwyn? If yes, why did Godwyn need to die in order to rid the world of the Elden Ring?

I thought I had more to say but I think that about covers it.