Elden Ring, FromSoftware’s 2022 open-world motion RPG, simply dropped its first and solely DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, bringing with it a couple of dozen hours of fight, exploration, and exposition. Erdtree is probably FromSoftware’s most lore-heavy creation but, providing express particulars on the fallen gods and fearsome foes of the Lands Between—if you could find them, that’s.
I doubt you’ll roll credit on the DLC with out having a reasonably good understanding of what’s gone on on this world created by FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki and Sport of Thrones’ creator George R.R. Martin. However there are positively some complicated moments and particulars to select via. Right here’s what we’ve realized about Elden Ring, its story, and its characters whereas enjoying Shadow of the Erdtree. Main spoilers incoming.
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What’s the Shadow Realm?
The Realm of Shadow is actually an alternate, death-filled model of the Lands Between. The Scadutree at its heart is actually a shadow model of the Erdtree within the Lands Between, and the prevalence of ghostly tombstones and coffins delineate that it is a world steeped in demise. Although the Realm of Shadow exists underneath a veil, it’s believed to be sitting smack within the heart of the unique Elden Ring map, proper underneath that cloud that’s simply south of the Erdtree.
Who’s Messmer the Impaler?
Messmer is the son of Queen Marika, and the brother of Malenia and Miquella. He was born with a snake residing inside him (that he calls the Abyssal Serpent) which threatened to take him over, so his mom contained the serpent by eradicating one in every of Messmer’s eyes and putting a magical seal there as an alternative.
Earlier than the Elden Ring shattered, Messmer was despatched to the Realm of Shadow to purge the tower-dwellers (the Hornsent) who weren’t followers of Marika’s faith/bathed within the gentle of grace. Bear in mind: within the Lands Between, the Hornsent are referred to as Omens, and are shunned from society or killed in makes an attempt to take away their horns. That’s as a result of they signify the dominant faith of the land earlier than the institution of the Better Will and its vassal, Marika. As we progress via the DLC, nevertheless, the meat between Marika and the Hornsent will get a bit extra difficult (extra on that later).
For some cause, Marika deserted Messmer within the Realm of Shadow, however he refused to cease purging people.
Who’s Kindly Miquella and why did he go to the Shadow Realm?
Miquella is the dual brother of Malenia, each born to Marika and Radagon and each cursed—Malenia with scarlet rot, and Miquella with everlasting youth. Although Miquella traps himself in a cocoon on the base of a tree he tried to develop to remedy himself and Malenia, he’s stolen whereas in slumber by Mohg, who wished to make use of his blood so as to begin his personal empire (although now, it seems that Miquella could have tricked Mohg into doing all of this so he might enter the Realm of Shdaow).
When Miquella fell into his slumber, he entered the Realm of Shadow to search out the soul of the Promised Consort, who seems to be Radahn, the exact same Radahn who’s the kid of Radagon and Rennala. Miquella needs to face on the gates of divinity (seen within the trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree) and full a ritual so as to develop into a god. That ritual includes capturing the useless Radahn’s soul in Mohg’s physique—keep in mind, you must kill each of these bosses within the base sport to even begin the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and now we all know why.
Why did Miquella select Radahn as his Consort?
Some assume that Miquella selected Radahn to be his Consort due to his sheer power as a demigod—the one particular person to finest him was Malenia, and maybe her Scarlet Rot affliction made it not possible for Miquella to call her as Consort. A cutscene that performs after you defeat Radahn within the DLC reveals that Miquella proposed some kind of vow to Radahn that will end in him turning into his consort after ascending to Godhood. It’s unclear if that’s why that large battle between Malenia and Radahn that we noticed within the unique trailer for Elden Ring passed off—if that battle was a part of the vow or one thing else fully. We additionally don’t know for positive if Radahn accepted the vow or was simply appearing whereas underneath the affect of Miquella, who may even attraction the participant through the closing boss bottle, stealing your coronary heart and insta-killing you.
What does Miquella need, and is he all that Kindly?
Early on within the DLC, you meet a number of NPCs who signify completely different factions on this world: Needle Knight Leda, the final remaining footsoldier for Miquella; Freyja, who as soon as fought alongside Radahn; the Hornsent, a member of the aforementioned tower people; and Sir Ansbach, who served Mohg. Although they arrive from disparate backgrounds, they’re all within the Realm of Shadow to search out “kindly Miquella,” they usually recruit you, as nicely.
However it seems that Miquella charmed all of them, twisting their minds to assist his trigger. That’s why, once you head in the direction of the Shadow Maintain (Messmer’s fort), an in-game occasion will happen: you hear the audio cue for utilizing a rune arc, and the phrases “someplace, a terrific rune has damaged…and so too has a robust attraction.” After talking to the NPCs, you study that Miquella himself broke this rune, thus additionally releasing all of these underneath his attraction. They’re confused, unsure who to comply with or the place to go, as they have been solely united as a result of Miquella was forcing them to be. Ansbach remembers preventing Miquella for Mohg, calling the once-Kindly Miquella a “monster.”
After this occasion takes place, Miquella’s aim turns into much more clear: the crosses you discover scattered throughout the map are locations the place Miquella has shed components of his being so as to be born anew, and breaking his rune arc is a part of that course of.
I posited earlier than the discharge of the DLC that Miquella wished to proper his mom Marika’s wrongs, and convey justice to the folks of the Realm of Shadow who have been (seemingly) crusaded in opposition to due to their horns (extra on that later), and that also appears to be the case. Miquella needs to result in an “Age of Compassion,” and plenty of NPCs reference his love, however the way in which he’s going about all the pieces is fairly fucked up—charming folks into preventing for him and utilizing the useless physique of 1 lord to deal with the soul of one other.
Who’s St. Trina?
St. Trina is simply briefly talked about within the base sport, however she has a complete part devoted to her within the DLC, and an NPC devoted to her as nicely: Thiollier. The DLC confirms beliefs that gamers have had for years: St. Trina and Miquella are the identical particular person, similar to Radagon and Marika are believed to be two halves of a complete. A cross close to the place you could find St. Trina confirms that that is the place Miquella discarded his “love.” And sure, similar to Radagon and Marika, a soul can clearly exist in two completely different our bodies on this world—and fall in love with itself. I really like The Man Who Folded Himself.
It’s necessary to notice that for those who communicate to St. Trina a number of occasions, she offers you a poison that “kills you.” You come again in the identical space with all of your runes, however for those who speak to Thiollier, an NPC close by, after which repeatedly attempt to speak to St. Trina, she’ll come to you after you die and inform you that you simply “should kill Miquella” as a result of godhood can be his jail.
Marika’s horrifying origin and the way it impacts Elden Ring’s story
Gamers study quite early on that the beloved little jar guys from the bottom sport have horrifying origins, and other people like X/Twitter consumer Albi found a connection between them and Queen Marika.
Once you get to the Belurat Gaol, you’ll uncover dozens of jar enemies, a few of that are completely different from those you meet within the base sport. They burst out of those jars and are a horrid mass of human limbs and additional, fatty growths. Kiling them may end up in them dropping an merchandise merely referred to as Innard Meat. The outline says that this meat is used to fill nice jars, and that “That is what turns into of the condemned, who get sliced up and stuffed into jars to develop into saints as an alternative.”
Albi and others consider that Marika and her folks lived within the Shaman Village, an space within the Realm of Shadow that you could find after gesturing in entrance of a statute of Marika, which is able to reveal a door to the wildflower-covered area. Although there are two Tree Sentinels there you have to struggle, there’s little else on this space, save for 2 gadgets: a spell that conjures up a minor Erdtree, and a lock of Marika’s hair.
The spell’s description reads: “Marika bathed the village of her dwelling in gold, realizing full nicely that there was nobody left to heal.”
The one different reference to shaman within the DLC, as famous by YouTuber Gingy, is a Hornsent ghost saying {that a} shaman’s place is within the jar. We now know that, sooner or later, the Hornsent have been torturing the shaman—an merchandise you could find referred to as the Tooth Whip describes this course of. And other people like Albi counsel that, primarily based on environmental clues within the Belurat Gaol, it’s possible Messmer was desperately attempting to avoid wasting the villagers from this horrible destiny.
So, it seems that Marika didn’t kill the Hornsent as a result of they have been remnants of an older faith—she could have develop into a God simply to smite them for what they did to her folks. That signifies that Miquella’s quest to proper her wrongs is unfounded, making the style wherein he’s gone about all this even worse. So sure, you must cease him.
These are the primary beats and necessary characters in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Extra fascinating lore particulars and unbelievable connections are being uncovered each day, so keep tuned.