Areas in Dark Souls is exactly how I picture ruined Elantris looking.

[Guest _Shallan_]

Brandon Sanderson has spoken a few times that he really like a game called Dark Souls, and every time I read Elantris, I keep picturing the ruined city looking like areas from the game.  Basicly, everything from the undead asylum to the bell chapel areas above, down to the undead burg and parish areas are all pure elantris to me.  just add more sludge.

I will share a timestamped video below and also some screenshots to compare.  The timestamped video also shows the real  life inspirations for the locations in the game:

This is the lore description of a Hollow, an undead who has finally lost it's mind pretty much:

All Undead will one day lose their mind and go Hollow.

 

The symptoms of being Hollow is primarily characterized by a lack of free will. Those that are Hollow may still have attractions to things they valued as living and Undead. This might explain why so many have maintained stations at various posts as well as their aggression towards non-Hollows.

Hollows are also referenced as mad or lost, also characterized by abhorrent stench. Hollows' minds are filled with fears.During the process of hollowing each death erases some parts of memory and at the end only madness persists.

Beyond this, drastic changes in physical appearance can be observed. Skin appears slightly decomposed and the body thoroughly dehydrated, prominent veins can be seen surrounding the heart although physical signs may only be indicative of progression into a Hollowed state and not of being entirely Hollowed.

 

I will include some more pictures of the area as well.  I can't unsee any of this whenever I read Elantris.

 

[Guest _Shallan_]

Um.. Odd.  I don't know why my text is greyed out...

[Honorless]

I always imagined Elantris looking more Baroque crossed with Disney but covered in Lovecraftian amount of slime.

Dark Souls architecture is great, and fit quite well for how I imagine abandoned cities in literature in general, not just Elantris; particularly locations like Anor Londo, Lothric or Eleum Loyce.

 

[Guest _Shallan_]

Nice!  Brandon would prob like a game called Vagrant story which also features a run down city that was once at the top of it's game.  The entire city has so much dark magic in it, that the spells were carved into the very walls and steps itself.  The entire city was a giant focus of magic power, but an earthquake ruined some of it and turned everyone into various creatures and damned undead.