Summary
Through obfuscating dialogue and intricate lore,Elden Ringweaves a complex and fascinating story. Players discover more about the Lands Between, its people, and its demigods mostly by speaking to NPCs, but their imperfect knowledge and implicit biases paint an incomplete picture. The flavor text on each item they pick up provides a tidbit of information, but it requires a lot of searching - and a fair bit of reading - to grasp the entire plot.
Elden Ring’s DLC,Shadow of the Erdtree, will continue that story by traveling to the Land of Shadow. There, it’s expected touncover secretElden Ringlorearound Marika, Miquella, and Messmer. If it’s been a while since they last touched the base game, players going intoElden Ring’s DLC could do with a quick story refresher before beginningShadow of the Erdtree.
Elden Ring: Everything You Need To Do Before Shadow Of The Erdtree
With Elden Ring’s Shadow Of The Erdtree Expansion less than a month away, players should work on finalizing their characters and builds.
Elden Ring Story Recap, Part One: The Prologue
The Greater Will, Marika, & The Shattering
In the beginning,a mysterious, godlike force known as the Greater Will created the Elden Ring, and out of the Elden Ring grew the Erdtree. This would be the very manifestation of order, determining the laws of reality in the Lands Between. But those laws were mutable: semi-immortal beings, known as Empyreans, could become vessels for the Elden Ring and manipulate its nature. Queen Marika was one such being, who seized control of the Elden Ring, becoming a god and ushering in an age known as the Golden Order.
Marika removed the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring, in order to protect herself and her children. Andshe had many children, who would become the demigods of the Lands Between. Her first consort was the warrior Godfrey, whose children were Godwyn and the cursed Omen twins Morgott and Mohg. Appointing him the first Elden Lord, Marika sent Godfrey on a series of campaigns to exert the Golden Order’s will throughout the Lands Between. But once he was done, she banished him and his army, hoping they’d return from foreign campaigns stronger and more ready.
Players must beat Radahn and Mohgbefore starting theElden RingDLC.
By banishing Godfrey, Marika removed his access to the Grace of Gold - a blessing granted by the Elden Ring. Thus,she created the first Tarnished, so called because of the golden light that faded from their eyes when they left the Lands Between.
Marika took a second King Consort, Radagon, and made him her second Elden Lord. Radagon had three children from his previous marriage to Lady Rennala (Radahn, Rykard, and Ranni), and Marika elevated all three to demigod status. They had two further children together: Malenia, who was born with Scarlet Rot, and Miquella, who was cursed to remain a child forever. Ranni was chosen as Marika’s successor by the Two Fingers, representatives of the Greater Will in the Lands Between. However,Ranni rejected this role, stealing a piece of the Rune of Death and fashioning it into a set of black knives with which to kill the gods.
Ranni’s assassins murdered Godwyn, but only his soul died; his body, buried at the roots of the Erdtree, grew twisted and massive, eventually sprouting Deathroot and causing Godwyn to be known as the Prince of Death. Ranni, meanwhile, left her physical form behind and transferred her soul into a doll, allowing her to remain in hiding.Marika was so distraught by the violent dissolution of her family that she shattered the Elden Ring, while Radagon tried unsuccessfully to repair it.
Elden Ring Story Recap, Part Two: The Tarnished In The Lands Between
The Shardbearers, Melina, & Roundtable Hold
The Shattering caused the Lands Between to descend into chaos.Many of Marika’s children inherited shards of the Elden Ring, called Great Runes, and thus they each wielded a fraction of its power. They became known as Shardbearers. However, they were rapidly corrupted by the Elden Ring’s power, and began fighting over the remaining pieces. The Shardbearers soon became locked in a state of eternal war. The Greater Will abandoned them, and the blessing of Grace was once again extended to the exiled Tarnished.
The player character ofElden Ringis one such Tarnished, who returns to the Lands Between by the guidance of Grace. There, they encounter Melina, a mysterious woman who offers them an alliance. Melina helps the Tarnished grow more powerful - level up - by turning the runes they obtain from slaying foes into strength. She also grants them Torrent, a horned horse they can summon at will. In return, she asks only that the Tarnished guide her to the foot of the Erdtree.
Melina believes her mother is imprisoned within the Erdtree, and thus is strongly implied to be a daughter of Marika (although her exact identity remains unknown).
Later,Melina also grants the Tarnished access to Roundtable Hold, a community of Tarnished who seek to repair the Elden Ring. This becomes the player character’s goal as well. Melina then bids them to invade nearby Stormveil Castle, and slay the demigod within. After they’ve defeatedGodrick the Grafted,Elden Ring’s first major boss, Melina appears again. She explains that this was a test of the Tarnished’s abilities, and that she’s convinced they truly possess the guidance of Grace.
From there,Elden Ring’s main quest can unfold in any number of ways. The player must defeat at least two Shardbearers by exploring the open world, but may choose to go after all seven. Each time, they’ll claim a Great Rune, which can be used to unlock even greater power.Once they return to the Two Fingers with two Great Runes, the Tarnished will be permitted to travel to the base of the Erdtree, defeat Morgott, and go inside. However, they find a wall of thorns blocking their way.
Elden Ring: All Great Runes (Effects & Locations)
To use the Great Runes found on main bosses in Elden Ring, players will need to climb Divine Towers and consume Rune Arcs to gain their effects.
Melina appears again, and suggests the Tarnished travel to the Mountaintops of the Giants. There, they can retrieve the Flame of Ruin - a manifestation of the Fire Giants' fell god - anduse it to set the Erdtree alight, removing the barrier. With the Flame of Ruin, Melina sacrifices herself in order to set fire to the Erdtree. As an alternative, the Tarnished can also claim the Frenzied Flame for the same purpose. However, this results in Melina abandoning the Tarnished, forcing them to use the Frenzied Flame themselves.
[Warning: The following section contains spoilers forall possible endings of Elden Ring.]
Elden Ring Story Recap, Part Three: The Endings
Farum Azula, Godfrey, & The Elden Beast
As the Erdtree burns, the Tarnished is transported to Farum Azula. They travel through it and defeat Maliketh, Marika’s defensive shadow.The Tarnished claims the Rune of Death from Maliketh, and returns to Leyndell, the former royal capital. There, they’ll find that Gideon Ofnir, the leader of Roundtable Hold and their former ally, has turned on them. They’ll also fight Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, whose Grace has also led him to this moment. But beyond, the entrance to the Erdtree lies open.
Inside, the Tarnished first faces Radagon, who has come to inhabit Marika’s body. Then,they fight the final boss ofElden Ring: the Elden Beast itself, an astral being come to defend the burning Erdtree. Once the Elden Beast is defeated, the Tarnished is permitted to approach Marika’s broken body, and claim the last fragments of the Elden Ring. They then set about reforging (or destroying) it, and the manner in which they do so determines which ending they see.
By this point, the player may have discovered thatRadagon and Marika are one and the sameby performing the Law of Regression incantation before the statue of Radagon in Leyndell. This is the reason for Malenia and Miquella’s afflictions.
The most basic ending, which takes place only if the Tarnished didn’t satisfy the conditions for any other, involves themrepairing the Elden Ring as it was under Marika, and taking their place upon the Elden Throne. Another ending can only be achieved if the player finishes Ranni’s quest line inElden Ring, and results in her destroying the Ring. If the Tarnished accepted the Frenzied Flame, and maintained it all the way through the ending, they’ll consume the entirety of the Lands Between in fire.
By finishing Goldmask’s quest line,the Tarnished can also perfect the Elden Ringso that the fickleness of gods will no longer change the nature of reality. By siding with Fia, they can restore Destined Death to the natural order, so that every living thing undergoes a cycle of life and death. Or, if they brought enough Seedbed Curses to Dung Eater, they’ll spread a foul curse throughout the Lands Between, preventing departed souls from returning to the Erdtree.
Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree startssomewhere between the Tarnished defeating Mohg and the final boss battle. It begins with them traveling to Mohgwyn Palace, where the arm of Miquella juts out from an otherworldly, egg-shaped cocoon. What comes next, players will have to experienceElden Ring’s DLC for themselves to find out.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a popular game released by From Software, creators of games such as Armored Core, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. Players assume the role of a Tarnished, a being once exiled to the Lands Between and has returned to repair the Elden Ring after the events of “The Shattering.” “The Shattering” occurred when the offspring of Queen Marika battled to claim the shards of the Elden Ring, known as Great Runes. Their war has brought lawlessness, destruction, and chaos to the land, and the player will challenge them with the assistance of a Maiden known as Melina as they travel towards the great Erd Tree to face their destiny and to become the one true Elden Lord. Players can tackle the game how they choose and can adventure across realms as they build their character how they want - be it a powerful magic caster or a brutal swordsman - they will have complete control over their build.
