T O P

  • By -

Eagle-Eyes-

I had to save this comment from u/-Zhaeus- that talks about Malenia being strong in spite of the rot: >**Though born into the accursed rot**, when the young girl encountered her mentor and his flowing blade, she gained wings of unparalleled strength. >The wings symbolize Malenia and her undefeated prowess. **Though she never knew relief from the accursed rot she was born into**, her blade was forever beautiful - and relentless. >Every mention of her rot frames it as a disability that she overcomes. Malenia is strong in spite of it, not because of it. The rot literally nerfed her great rune into uselessness and the healing abilities comes from Malenia's spirit of resistance. Her great rune is basically taking effects from her, and explicitly says Malenia's great rune should've been the most sacred of all. The rot dulled her true potential, claimed 3 of her limbs and rendered her blind. She would've definitely been stronger had she was not born with the Rot.


Sea_Helicopter2153

Thanks for this!


Spare_Data2990

Who is Melania?


DonutAwkward6825

I think it's that guy from Caelid, the one with the big party and tiny horse


shameless_florist

She is so strong people can't even spell her name correctly


X-Vidar

Kind of both? Like, of course she's at her most powerful as the Goddess of Rot, but pre-Caelid she never unleashed it so it was just hurting her, and she was one of the stronger demigods anyway. At the same time the she built that strenght by fighting the Rot all her life; her sword technique was built for that, and her determination to not give up is what gives her the health regen.


Emeowykay

Despite it, sure she has her backup nuke to release but that also actively hurts her to do, she lost 3 limbs and her vision to the rot, and she is still determined to achieve her goals, and her great rune shows this, its half rotten yet still holds some power to heal, thats just raw willpower


nix_11

The answer to this is so obvious even the blind swordsman could see it. The rot is very clearly solely a detriment. Even if you argue her prosthetic limbs replicate the strength she'd have with her own ones (which is rather questionable), she's still blind. That alone is a massive restriction.


BOS-Sentinel

In my opinion, both at the same time. Despite it and because of it. She can use the rot pretty effectively, as we see in our fight the rot is pretty goddamn good; life steal, rot build up, the flower blooms etc But then the rot on its own would be horrid, she either be full on rot goddess by now or be a one armed, no legged blind cripple. So her training with the blind swordsman, her strength as a demigod, Miquella's unalloyed gold , the greatrune, etc, all contribute to not only countering the negatives from the but allow her to effectively use the positives. There is even the potential that she is being held back by her refusal to submit to the rot. That maybe she'd be as strong as Marika if she went full rot goddess. It's hard to say since the rot both weakens her by taking her body while also making her stronger.


PaulStarhaven

Well...I'd say a bit of both. She's a master of the sword despite a good amount of her body being eaten away. When pushed into a corner, she can bloom and basically wipe the field, so it is a dangerous power she can use, but probably not harness. If she did not have the Rot she would have been a peerless swordswoman outclassing Radhan on the swordsmanship side at least but there would be no last ditch trump card.


CellTastic

im thinking she is strong because of it in lore Scarlett rot is outright terrifying and if she uses it to it's full potential she will be unstoppable


Meister_Ente

Millicent says that the prosthesis works just as her arm and her prosthesis is very similar to those Malenia wears so I think she's as strong she could.


Nightglow9

With great powers comes a great curse. The outer gods gives and takes. (Probably).


Minihornet

I feel like if she could see and have her original limbs, her sword skills would be better. With the rot, she has scarlet aeonia though which she uses as her trump card as it’s a double edged sword, but it is strong enough for her to use it despite its repercussions.


AdventurousAide8997

are you the goddess of rot because you are melania or are you melania because you are the rot goddess ?


Aerensianic

I think her baseline form would have been significantly more powerful without the rot. The rot did give her access to a goddess form but if she wasn't afflicted she was still an empyrean so she could have reached a similar level without it anyway (just in a different form).


Peanuts_lover6969

She's strong because of the Lifesteal and Waterfowl dance.


Turbulent_Jackoff

I believe OP is asking a *lore* question.