Into the Ashen Capital

 So, on my "thorough" playthrough of Elden Ring, I feel as if I've combed every tiny corner of the map. I clearly haven't actually found everything (I'm missing the two "scarseal" talismans, though I have the upgrades, the "soreseals." I also don't think I have Shabriri's Woe. But at this point I've gone through so much of the game, combed through dungeons and bosses, that I felt it was high time (at level 152) to finally face Malikith and go to the endgame.

Malikith is, I imagine, a very tough boss if you fight him at a lower level, or with a less powerful build. And he did manage to kill me on the first attempt when I was trying to make use of the special item you can get by defeating Recusant Bernahl when he invades you (on the bridge leading to Malikith's boss arena, just go down the bridge and explore there and you'll get invaded). Focusing just on killing him, I was able to do so on attempt number two, though that second phase gets significantly tougher given how much the dude jumps around.

When you slay Malikith, you Destined Death is unleashed, and the Erdtree truly begins to burn. You wake up in Leyndell, Ashen Capital. Now, I had sort of assumed I'd be looking at a similar map and a full dungeon like the first trip to Leyndell, but the city has filled up so much with ash that almost everything is buried. There's one gargoyle left, and beyond that it's just boss fights.

I faced down Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing, which was pretty quick and easy as my Mimic Tear and I slammed down on him before he could do much. From there, I'll be going to Morgott's old arena right in front of the Erdtree, where the penultimate (or pen-penultimate if you count Radagon and the Elden Beast as separate fights) boss.

As is often the case, I'm feeling that sense of trepidation - I don't want the game to end!

Also, I've been mulling over which ending to go with. I cleansed myself of the Frenzied Flame, so I think that one's out, but that opens up the others. I also waited too long to talk to Corhyn, and found his bell bearing and Goldmask's mask in Altus Plateau (Goldmask's mask is a bit harder to find). So Perfect Order is out, but that's the ending I'd planned for my Dragon guy.

Basically, I'm tempted to go with the Age of Stars ending because I usually think of the most complicated ending to get in these games as the preferable one. But I also feel like that fits my intelligence-based Sorcerer much better. So, that leaves the Age of Fracture (the one you don't need to do sidequests for,) the Age of the Fell Curse or whatever it's called (Dung Eater's evil ending, though not as evil, perhaps as the Frenzied Flame one) or, what I'm leaning toward, the Age of the Duskborn, which is based on Fia's quest.

Anyway, I sort of want to go down a checklist of all the mini-dungeons and make sure I hit them all (I'd missed one in the Consecrated Snowfield near where you fight the named magma wyrm that gives you a special dragon spell). But I spent a while falling off the branches at the top of the Haligtree to try to get everything there (come to think of it, the second giant envoy might drop a weapon that I should try to get). I also cannot get the leonine misbegotten in the Haligtree town to drop the Iron Greatsword, but I figure the Gargoyle Greatsword is doing just fine for me as my off-hand weapon (really I'd just like to be able to leave one Sacred and the other Flame Art so I could swap my damage type at will).

Also, I want to talk to Gurranq now that I've killed Malikith, given that it seems strongly implied they're the same person albeit in a weird timey-wimey alternate timeline... or Malikith is in the future, or something.

But hey, maybe when I finish Elden Ring I'll feel like playing WoW again.