A new chapter unfolds inElden Ringwith the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which delves into a forgotten history, unearthing tales that were purposefully buried by Marika, for her own twisted reasons.

At the heart of this narrative lies Messmer the Impaler, a demigod and possibly the first child of Marika, who is tasked by his mother with a cleansing crusade in the Land of Shadow. Messmer’s story from the outside looks to be classic evil villain stuff, but if you look closely, there are layers to his motivations that can completely change your perspective.

Who Is Messmer The Impaler?

Messmer the Impaler is a demigod and the supposed firstborn sonof Marika, whoresides in the Shadow Keep. He was tasked with using his potent fire magic topurge the Hornsentof the land and to burn anythingdeemed impure to the Golden Order.

Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death, in the embrace of Messmer’s flame.

All across the Land of Shadow, you can see Messmer’s influence and how he hasbecome a symbol of fear, with a lot of characters wanting revenge against the demigod for their people’s genocide.

Messmer committed these massacres from his throne in the Shadow Keep, though after the Land of Shadow is veiled andMessmer is abandoned by his mother, he loses faith in the crusade.

All that resentment he had for being aLord of nothingbecause of Marika’s task reaches its peak when you walk into his throne room for the first time. He’s surprised ata tarnished entering the Land of Shadowand knows now that his mother has truly abandoned him.

Base Serpent Messmer

Like his siblings, Messmer was born cursed, and it’s heavily implied that the flame he uses is similar tothat of his younger sister, Melina’s.

Messmer was born with a flame that is constantly being eaten away by the Abyssal Serpent within him. Marika attempted to contain this darkness by plucking out one of Messmer’s eyes and replacing it with a seal of grace, keeping the serpent within him at bay.

In the second phase of his boss fight, though,Messmer’s hate for Marika reaches its peakand, out of spite, he destroys the eye of grace,embracing the Serpentand going all out against the tarnished from here on out.

Messmer Is A Pawn To Marika

A huge question in the story iswhy Marika even started this crusadeagainst the Hornsent to begin with. If you explore the Shadow Keep,a secret entrance will reveal the Hinterlands and the Shaman village,Marika’s place of birth.

At Bonny village, you can seethe fate of the Shamansand what possibly happened to Marika’s family that led her down thepath of vengeance and godhood. The brutality of a torture like that suffered by Marika’s people for the longest timeto create living jarswould explain why she decided on hiding away the Land of Shadow andmurdering anyone who went against her golden order, even if it wasn’t their fault.

That is where Messmer comes in and executes Marika’s revenge on her part, while she rules the Lands Between. In the end, though,Marika’s abandonment drives Messmer over the edge, and he curses his mother as he dies, given thathe could’ve been so much moreif he wasn’t hidden away.