What is the point of the Elden Lord?
I’m still confused on what the purpose of the Elden Lord actually is. Though it seems she was about to circumvent that by being Radagon as well but he went AWOL, if Marika has the Elden Ring, why can’t she just rule with its power? She doesn’t seem the type to like being trapped and tied down and forced to be subservient to anyone. Not saying she would be subservient to the Elden Lord but she seems the type to favor complete independence if possible.
Was this the same during the age of Placidusax? That the God of that Age was effectively useless without Placidusax? Or is the entire concept of an “Elden” Lord something that only really exists because of Marika?
Cause the thing is, it’s the Elden Lord that gets to decide the next age, not the God containing the Elden Ring. I get Marika is currently broken but I guess I’m just confused if all the power seems to reside in her.
Thank you for any clarification, even if it’s theory.
EDIT: I was not expecting such an influx of responses. Thank you all for coming together to be a guiding star.
So it’s looks like the rough gist of it is: Elden Lords(or Lords to a God) act as a kind of physical anchor for a God to exist in the material plane. And even though Empyreans like Marika and Ranni have a Shadowbound Beast to act as an enforcer, the Lord also acts in that capacity, but most likely able to deal in politics or civic, something a Shadowbound beast isn’t quite the best fit for.
All of it is meant to amplify and extend a God’s influence and reach in physical reality. Whether it be Miquella through Radahn or Marika and the Elden beast through Godfrey and Radagon.
(Side note: Does this mean they are two Gods in one? Since the Elden Beast is referred to as such when defeated/slain even though the Elden Ring still exists. But this is a separate question for a different post.)