Yesterday we finally got more footage of the Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree. Previously Bandai Namco and Fromsoft gave us a taste of what’s to come, but now we get a lore-laden story trailer, and of course, we have to break it down for you.
Strap yourself in as we’re going to get knee-deep in the lore of Elden Ring to, hopefully, break down some of the details you can expect when the DLC launches 21 June 2024. Of course, most of this is speculation, so take some of it with a pinch of salt.
It starts with Marika
The trailer opens with Marika reaching into some phallic-looking orifice which could be flesh - most likely godflesh, if this is the case - and pulling out golden strands. Speculation on what these strands are falls into two camps; either they’re part of the Elden Ring, or they’re the fabric of reality that creates the Erdtree.
Given that we see her walking from Gloam darkness between two huge piles of bodies it’s more likely that she is creating the Erdtree, as we know that bodies feed the tree, they are its roots. Where the strands came from is up for debate, but it could be the Gloam-Eyed Queen, given the darkness Marika is emerging from.
What is the shadow of the Erdtree?
When the DLC was first announced it appeared as if the ‘Shadow’ was a place we would visit, but after this new trailer it’s more likely a time. We see, as the trailer goes on, a great war surging which takes place before Marika establishes the golden order. This is a shadow in time, a dark moment in history filled with bloodshed and death that appears to be driven by Messmer.
What we’re guessing at is a time after Marika tore the golden strands from a God and ascended to godhood herself, she likely sends Messmer into battle to fight against supporters of the previous God. There’s a thought that Messmer goes too far in his lust for blood and gets banished by Marika into the Shadowlands.
Who was on the stairs?
During the scenes from the battle, we see Messmer’s army climbing stairs while a corpse lies between them. The corpse has been stabbed with several spears, which the army is wielding as they walk into battle. It’s hard to decipher who this is, but the regal looking cloak suggest we might be seeing the toppling of a king who opposes Marika’s rule. Perhaps the king who lives in the castle the army seems to be marching towards.
Lots of spears
Bear in mind Messmer’s full name is Messmer the Impaler, this boy loves himself a spear. We also get a view of several people hanging from speartips. These look to be those underneath the Chinese Lion dancer enemy who, at one point in the trailer, attempts to chomp our boy Messmer.
This seems to be a nod to the culture of people Messmer is, essentially, murdering in droves. Hopefully, we get to see this city and its people at some point before the war, but given Fromsoft’s fascination with destroyed cultures, it’s unlikely.
Where does Messmer, and his fire, come from?
As much as I hate to say this, it’s hard to know. This could very well be the ‘seduction and betrayal’ that is mentioned in the voiceover at the start. Though that could also relate to Markia seducing the Gloam-Eyed Queen and then killing her. Or, it could mean that Marika partnered with a fire giant or God of fire to birth Messmer. Perhaps still, Messmer is the son of the Gloam-Eyed Queen and Marika claims him as her own as the act of betrayal.
His fire powers seemingly go on to ‘cleanse’ the world in order for Marika to create The Lands Between. As we see, his army is definitely victorious as he stands above a city burning. Though Messmer, it seems, has been written out of history and kept in the land of shadow, which could go some way to confirming that he’s an illegitimate child, perhaps even bred to be a scourge and wipe out Marika’s opponents.
Miquella
Now the trailer changes drastically in tone - from chaos and fire to the quiet of the land showing golden emblems, appearing to be Miquella’s great rune. This is likely the path Miquella takes through the land of shadow and each rune could be a site of grace. This could also mean we’re following in Miquella’s footsteps.
Now the trailer cuts to a figure falling through a purple hazey background. This is St Trina, a form of Miquella, which represents sleep (the falling pose matches the curl of the petals on St Trina’s Lily). This could be Miquella abandoning that form of himself, which likely goes on to become a monster in some form, as depicted by St Trina’s torch in the full game.
The group of NPCs
Towards the end of the trailer, we get a look at a group of NPCs - all of whom appeared in the previous trailer fighting various monsters - tracing with their fingertips Miquella’s great rune out in the world. This suggests they are loyal to Miquella and will follow him through the land of shadow. These will likely be the NPCs we interact with as we play.
But this brings us back to Miquella who is a key figure in the DLC. After all, the previous trailer opens by showing us his cocoon, and we also know this is the portal to the land of shadow. The biggest thing we don’t know is why Miquella is walking through the land of shadow. Is this his attempt at entering the past to confront Marika in some way? Or is this his way of showing the greater population that Marika condemned an entire people in order to rule The Lands Between.
Who is the narrator?
Well, the narrator is the same voice we heard at the end of the previous trailer, and they speak of Miquella directly. This could be one of those NPCs we saw from above, perhaps even their leader. It’s likely that this is the main NPC we interact with as we play, perhaps taking on the role of Melina, allowing us to upgrade our abilities in this land of shadow.
If this isn’t the narrator a case could be made that the narrator is actually St Trina, telling of what happened after she split from Miquella’s soul and was cast out, perhaps to watch as the world burned and was then remade.
Featured Image Credit: FromsoftwareTopics: Bandai Namco, Elden Ring, Fromsoftware