Elden Ring: Putrefaction of Gold

Brother and Sister Reunited

Miquella was slumped over with his head resting on his desk.

Surrounding him were borrowed books full of formulas and fundamentalist theories, and crumpled pieces of paper with notes that were scribbled, crossed out, then corrected. He began his work, in his childlike mind, that he could achieve advantage over what had stumped even the most brilliant fundamentalist minds. He was at it for months, even before that awful day at Malenia's door. But as he studied, Miquella found himself overwhelmed by both the scale of the task and the lack of helpful resources.

There were mentions of the "rotting sickness" and "scarlet death" in the old records that Miquella could, with reasonable deduction, assume was the disease that plagued his sister. Most were momentary mentions tucked away in fables. There was a lengthy epic poem about a blind hero given a sword by a fairy and sealing away an outer god of rot, but other than a fun story, it offered little value. The best source was the brief writen by a unknown scholar, but it composed only of observations while passing through a town plagued by it. The scholar assumed it was a waterborne illness caused by small microbes that gave the water a red hue and so dubbed it the name "scarlet rot" and described some of the symptoms, but that was all.

Interesting, but none of it described Malenia's condition. Where the disease was easily treated by bolases or cleansing spells, neither of those things was successful.

"Son?"

Miquella lifted his head to see his father.

"Hello, Papa," Miquella replied as he rubbed his eye.

"What are you doing?" Radagon asked.

"I just want to help Malenia. But I can't find anything in the books," said Miquella.

"What's this?" Radagon asked. He picked up a bottle used by the perfumers.

"Oh, Tricia gave it to me to look at. I had her come here. Malenia says she's wicked, but I think she just wants to help. She just doesn't know how," said Miquella.

He spent hours interviewing the perfumer, which flattered Tricia to see great interest in such a young mind. He asked her all sorts of questions, not just about the known paradigms of the scarlet rot, but of the fundamentals in the art of healing. Miquella was fascinated, astonished even, by the general difference between the theories presented by the fundamentalists and the actual practice of medicine done by the perfumers.

Of Malenia's disease, Tricia explained that while it was true, that most people came into contact with the rotting sickness through contaminated red water, Malenia's unique symptoms seemed more in line with a disease "of the blood". Blood was related to water, Tricia further explained and theorized that Malenia's was somehow infected before she was born. A cure was likely impossible but bloodletting seemed to offer Malenia the most, albeit temporary, relief.

They went off on quite a few tangents where she talked about those said to carry curses from contact with the crucible and how their treatment was challenging due to lack of resources. Much of what the perfumers knew, was passed down from master to apprentice, with very little written down, and often information was lost. Miquella suggested that perhaps all the perfumers ought to come together and compile their combined knowledge into volumes.

"Look. I made this sleeping spell," said Miquella. "Tricia said she'll try it next time and maybe it'll help Malenia could sleep when they help her."

"Son," said Radagon. "The perfumers have done a fine job, but they don't always understand that some things are meant to be in their proper cycle."

Miquella gave a puzzled look.

"Remember how the sun rises and sets," said Radagon.

"Yes."