Those Who Live in Death (2024)

Those Who Live in Death (死に生きる者たち, Shi ni Ikiru Mono-tachi) are humanoid skeletal creatures found in Elden Ring. They are commonly found in catacombs, graveyards, and around Deathroot. Those Who Live in Death are a product of the spread of Deathroot following the Night of Black Knives and the death of Godwyn the Golden,^[1] and fall outside the principles of the Golden Order. It is for this reason that Golden Order fundamentalists known as hunters are tasked with exterminating them, down to the last.^[2]

They can be summoned by and occasionally found alongside Tibia Mariners. They are extremely weak to holy damage.

Overview[]

Those Who Live in Death are humanoid skeletal creatures of variable height and equipment, characterized by their ability to resurrect upon initially being slain. This can be prevented by killing them with certain sources of holy damage, or by attacking their bones before they resurrect.

On the Night of Black Knives, a stolen fragment of the Rune of Death enabled the Black Knife Assassins to murder Godwyn the Golden, which marked the first death of a demigod in history.^[3] However, Ranni the Witch, a co-conspirator of the assassins, committed suicide^[4] at the same moment by carving the cursemark of Destined Death, also known as the mark of the centipede,^[5] into her flesh. This resulted in the cursemark, which should have taken the shape of a circle, splitting into two half-wheel wounds, in turn allowing Ranni's body to perish, while Godwyn died in soul alone.^[6] Ranni lingered on as a spirit, while Godwyn was unable to die a true death,^[7] and instead continued to live within death, without a soul, becoming known as the Prince of Death.^[8]

As the first dead of the demigods, Godwyn was buried under the capital, at the Erdtree's roots.^[9] After the night of the dire plot, the Rune of Death spread across the Lands Between through the underground great tree roots, sprouting in the form of Deathroot,^[3] a source that causes those who come into contact with it to become Those Who Live in Death.^[10] Those Who Live in Death have refused the call to return to the Erdtree,^[11] and trespass beyond life's bounds.^[12] It is for this reason that they exist outside the principles of the Golden Order, and hunters among the Golden Order fundamentalists arose to exterminate defiled reason—all for the perfection of the Order.^[13] In turn, Maliketh, the Black Blade, from whom the fragment of the Rune of Death was stolen, took on the guise of Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman, and consumed Deathroot gathered for him by hunters in order to sate his appetite.^[14]

Despite the distaste for Those Who Live in Death, some of the Tarnished sympathized with them upon their return to the Lands Between, including Fia, Deathbed Companion, Lionel the Lionhearted,^[15] and Sorcerer Rogier. According to Rogier, Those Who Live in Death have committed no offense, have every right to life, and have simply touched upon a flaw in the Order.^[16]

During the time of The Tarnished (Protagonist), D, Hunter of the Dead discovered the mark of the centipede in Summonwater Village, in Limgrave,^[17] and brought it back to the Roundtable Hold. He was later murdered by Fia, who wished to return the cursemark, also known as the hallowbrand, to Godwyn.^[18] When tracked down to the Deeproot Depths, Fia reveals that she was the companion of Godwyn, the Prince of Death, and wished to be a mother and guardian to Those Who Live in Death.^[19][20]

Upon giving her the Cursemark of Death obtained from Ranni's corpse, Fia claims it will allow Godwyn to claim a second illustrious life and take his rightful place as the First of the Dead.^[21] She will lay with Godwyn in order to conceive a child that will serve as the new life of Godwyn, that will take the form of the rune of Those Who Live in Death.^[22] Fia asks The Tarnished (Protagonist) to brandish her child and become their Elden Lord by staying the persecution of Those Who Live in Death.^[23] Embedding the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince into the Elden Ring, it will restore Death and embed the principle of life within Death into the Order.^[24]

Enemies[]

Skeleton[]

Main article: Skeleton

Animated skeletons commonly found in catacombs. Upon death, their remains will emit a blueish glow, and after a few seconds they will reanimate. Striking their remains while they are glowing will ensure that they remain dead.

Skeletal Militiaman[]

Main article: Skeletal Militiaman

Animated skeletons often found around graveyards.

Skeletal Beastman[]

Main article: Skeletal Beastman

The skeletal remains of Beastmen, found in Crumbling Farum Azula.

Giant Skeleton[]

Main article: Giant Skeleton

Giant, spectral skeletons found in some graveyards.

Skeletal Snail[]

Main article: Skeletal Snail

Snails with shells resembling skulls.

Deathbird[]

Main article: Deathbird

Gigantic, decaying birds encountered as bosses throughout the Lands Between.

Death Rite Bird[]

Main article: Death Rite Bird

More powerful variant of the Deathbird, sporting ghostly black wings.

Weaknesses[]

Weapons that inflict bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

• Golden Epitaph (+30%)
• Golden Order Greatsword (+20%)
• Inseparable Sword (+20%)

Spells that inflict bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

• Litany of Proper Death (+900%)
• Order's Blade (+100%)

Weapon skills that inflict bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

• Last Rites (+100%, Golden Epitaph)
• Shared Order (+50%)
• Sacred Order (+100%)
• Sacred Blade (+100%)

Consumables that deal bonus damage to Those Who Live in Death include:

• Holy Water Pot (+300%)
• Roped Holy Water Pot (+300%)
• Sacred Order Pot (+90%)

See Also[]

• Those Lost in Death
• Godwyn the Golden
• Rune of Death
• Fia, Deathbed Companion

Trivia[]

• Tibia Mariners, Wormfaces, Basilisks, and Ulcerated Tree Spirits are not counted among the enemies weak to anti-Those Who Live in Death damage sources despite their adjacency to Those Who Live in Death and/or Death blight.

Gallery[]

References[]