ELDEN RING SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE: DLC STORY AND LORE THE SUMMARY
We’ve summarized the story of the Elden Ring expansion for you, putting together all the clues and information scattered throughout the Shadowlands.
Shadow of the Erdtree is a monumental addition to the experience put together by From Software for its Elden Ring (for more information, we refer you to the review of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree ): an acknowledgement that does not only concern the game’s gameplay, but also the very rich narrative substratum that supports the events of the predestined Lightless One. Hidden within the expansion’s meshes, often in plain sight, is an intricate web of references and notions that allow us to fill some of the gaps in a narrative structure that is as complex as it is fascinating, already the subject of an infinite series of more or less imaginative lucubrations.
Aware of how difficult it is to find the right place for each piece of this mosaic, we have attempted to summarize the story of Shadow of the Erdtree for you , avoiding where possible long digressions on this or that aspect of the basic lore of Elden Ring.
ELDEN RING SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE: DLC STORY AND LORE THE SUMMARY
A realm hidden in plain sight
Let’s start by establishing that, like the plot of Elden Ring, the narrative structure of Shadow of the Erdtree is a crossroads of stories and events that are difficult to elaborate , as it is the product of a long series of hints and winks that leave ample room for interpretation, both with regard to the nature of the events at the centre of the story and with regard to their placement in time.
The very nature of the Shadowlands, the setting of From Software’s DLC, is never explicitly outlined between the various stages of the adventure , although several pieces of the lore and the structure of the scenario suggest that this territory was once an integral part of the Interregnum. Taking a look at the topography of the map, you can see how its layout coincides in a substantially perfect way with the empty space between Leyndell and Sepulchre, now enclosed within a “shadow dimension” not dissimilar to those visited by crossing the borders of the various Eternal Galleys of Elden Ring. As for the reasons for this presumed and peculiar dislocation, we can formulate a handful of theories, all attributable to the conduct of Queen Marika and the merciless precepts of her Golden Order. To begin with, it is possible that the eternal spokesperson of the Higher Will has decided to hide the region of Shadow of the Erdtree to prevent access to the divine portal , a mystical threshold capable of elevating the empyreans to the rank of true gods, thus capable of disrupting and rewriting the status quo of the Interregnum. It is also possible that Marika has operated with the intent of concealing from her subjects the existence of the primordial cult “colonized” by the Golden Order, namely the one built around the Crucible of Life (the Mother Tree itself) by the Heralds of the Horn, a people of omens native to the region.
After all, we know that the lineage of omens is identified by the faithful of the Order as an execrable and cursed race, deviant from the doctrine of perfection preached by Marika. The reasons for this deep resentment may even go beyond simple – and opportunistic – religious dissent, since the lore of Shadow of the Erdtree seems to suggest that the Horn Heralds played an active role in the extermination of the inhabitants of the Shaman Village, the birthplace of the Everqueen.
A third scenario, which however does not exclude the previous ones, sees Marika separate the Shadow Lands with the intention of sealing her son Messmer inside, a cruel and cursed being potentially capable of setting fire to the mighty Mother Tree. The clash with the demigod makes it clear how fragile the sacred seal that limits his powers is: the dark serpent that dwells inside the leader , held in check by Marika’s blessing, is a powerful entity and extremely difficult to control, as well as a sort of living blasphemy for the ideals of the Golden Order.
The Deception of “Gentil” Miquella
Whatever Marika’s true intentions, we know that before the destruction of the Ancestral Ring and the subsequent Wars of the Disintegration, the queen and Radagon’s firstborn was sent into the Shadowlands with the task of exterminating the Heralds of the Horn , and thus consolidating the rule of the Golden Order.
Left isolated along with his companions, Messmer has continued his work despite the interruption of all contact with the Interregnum, developing over time a sharp resentment towards his mother. The Impaler’s exile means that he has no idea of the state of Marika’s kingdom and her golden cult, a circumstance that makes this formidable opponent a sort of victim of events: a simple extra in the story that Miquella aspires to write. As is now known, in fact, the main antagonist of Shadow of the Erdtree is none other than Malenia’s brother, determined to ascend to divinity and establish a new order: a “gentle” regime that would replace Marika’s now defunct theocracy. Our arrival in the Shadowlands, as well as that of the various NPCs we will meet along the way, has basically a single purpose: to open the way to Miquella’s consecration by eliminating any impediment that might hinder her plan.
Like characters like Leda, Freyja and Ansbach, our Senzaluce is also an integral part of the machinations of the eternal child , as well as an unwitting victim of his powers of manipulation. The heroes gathered by Miquella confirm this: after arriving near the Fortress of Shadows, a message on the screen will warn us that a powerful spell has been broken, and by talking to the various NPCs we will notice how their loyalty towards the empyrean is now far from solid.
The breaking of the spell, triggered by Miquella himself with the destruction of his Greater Rune , is just the latest step on the path to divinity: to ascend, the demigod must free himself from everything that keeps him tied to his previous life, including his flesh and his powers, so that he can be reborn as a completely new entity.
Among these sacrifices we also find Santa Trina , the incarnation of Miquella’s love and her alter ego (like Radagon for Marika), who warns us that the path taken by his other half is the bearer of great suffering, and therefore begs us to kill him.
After having cleared the passage to the divine portal, in the final stages of the expansion, we will discover that the intrigues hatched by Miquella do not only involve the events at the center of the DLC, but extend far beyond the borders of the Shadowlands . It seems in fact that Mohg, the Lord of Blood, has stolen Miquella’s cocoon following the will of the empyrean itself, which had already foreseen the killing of her half-brother at the hands of an aspirant to the throne of the Ancestral Lord. All this not only to start her pilgrimage in the realm in the shadow of the Mother Tree, but also to be able to use the remains of Mohg as raw material to shape the new body of Radhan, her betrothed. At this point, Miquella has only one thing to do: eliminate the Lightless to take the place that once belonged to Marika the Eternal, thus starting the era “of compassion”. Considering how much blood has been spilled for Miquella’s twisted ambitions, it is fortunate that this divine plan is destined to fail precisely thanks to the intervention of the Lightless One , who, once he has eliminated the revived – and empowered – Radahn, will once again be free to forge the future of the Interregnum in his own way.