The following contains spoilers for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree by FromSoft DLC. The reader is asked for his discretion.

Key findings

• Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC uncovers hidden secrets and challenges players’ beliefs and theories.
• Miquell’s true intentions to ascend to godhood shock players and reveal his manipulative plans.
• The community’s ongoing speculations and theories add a new dimension to the complex world of
  Elden Ring
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Fromsofts Elden Ring is a game that features many unforeseen twists and turns for players to experience and endure as the world unfolds before them. However, many of the stories’ major plot points can be confusing to fans, to say the least. The game often gives players clues as to the true nature of the story through small lines of dialogue and even item descriptions that are left for the player to focus and study. Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Earth Tree DLC was no exception to this fact.

Due to the overall ambiguity of the game and its story, many players were left to draw their own conclusions and theories about certain characters and plot points. Elden Ring. However, some theories were more valuable than others as the community developed the theories. After players came to a general understanding of who and what the villains were in the world of the Betweenlands, they were shocked by the revelations that emerged in the Shadow of the Earth Tree DLC.

What is the Land of Shadow?

Home of Messmer, the hidden child of Marika

The Land of Shadow is, as many players speculate, a part of the empire that was hidden by Marika. himself to protect the secrets the land holds. As revealed throughout the DLC, the Land of Shadow holds many secrets, such as that of the child Messmer and his importance to the world as we know it. Messmer was a child of Marika who, as he says in his own dialogue, was abandoned by his mother. Although the game does not explicitly state why Messmer was left behind, it can be assumed that Marika did so to protect the tree from the possibility of Messmer and his powerful flames destroying it. This theory is supported by many, as the community already knows how far Marika went to eradicate the race of fire giants just because she had the potential to do the same.

This fact also effectively adds Messmer to the family bloodline that many believed ended with the demigods from the base game. With that in mind, what we thought we knew based on the first game was quickly called into question so early in the DLC. This revelation forced many players to rethink several theories the community had developed over the years.

Another theory suggested by much of the fan community is that the Realm of Shadow actually fits perfectly in the middle of the game’s original mapThe countries in between. This theory definitely has merit, as the center of the original map seems to match and support the segments of the new map we received in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. An example of this is that the top center of the new map is where the player fights the Scadurtree Avatar in the DLC. This would also suggest that this is the base of the Erdtree itself, which is supported by the fact that both locations are top center of their respective maps.

Miquella was alive the whole time and orchestrated

The Enchanting Gift of the Empyreans

Miquella was a character that the player had been waiting for a long time to see appear. Players initially believed Miquella to be a poor, cursed god, unable to carry out his own will due to an illness that trapped him in the form of a child. However, as the game progresses through the DLC, Tarnished discovers that Miquella was free and venturing into the realm of shadow. This is a shocking revelation for players to find out, and leaves many wondering what he might be up to.

As the DLC progresses, players discover that Miquella orchestrated everything that happens in the Land of Shadow, as well as some of the key plot points of the base game. It turns out that Miquella used his powers to coerce his demigod brothers and many of the NPC followers the player meets in the DLC. After meeting NPC followers Dry Leaf Dane, Ansbach, NeedleKnight Leda, Moore, Redman Freya, and Hornsent, players learn that Miquella has coerced many into following him. With all of these people coerced and following his every whim, Miquella was free to act out his own ulterior motives.

Miquella’s goals are completely clear

He plans to ascend to godhood

Miquela’s goals, which remain unclear throughout most of the DLC, are finally revealed to the player at the end. Even the NPCs who know they are being drawn to the Land of Shadow by Miquela are completely unaware of what they are doing and why. These same NPCs, convinced that the player is also being called by Miquela, accompany the player every important step of the way. This is until the player must fight and part ways with them before Radahn, one of the toughest fights in all of Elden Ring.

The player soon discovers after this fight that Miquela’s ultimate goal and reason for being in the Land of Shadow is to ascend to godhood.. Miquella wants to accomplish this feat so he can usher in his own new order. As seen in the final scene that players see after defeating Radahn, Miquella asks Radahn to promise to help him as he ascends to godhood. It can be inferred that this is where Radahn succumbed to Miquella’s charm. Miquella also tells Radahn of his dream of a better, gentler world, implying that he would have used his power to coerce others on a much greater scale and usher in an age of peace.

Mohg’s role in all this was a misdirection

And Shadow of the Erdtree helps clear Mohg’s name

It was a widely accepted idea within the gaming community that Mohg was the villain who stole Miquell’s body from the famous Haligtree in the first game. It was also believed that Mohg did this by force, using Miquella as a sort of figurehead for his own dynasty. This was evident in his item descriptions, which highlighted Mohg’s intention to establish himself as Miquella’s consort so he could institute his own order. As the DLC reveals more, it becomes clear that Mohg was under Miquella’s charm and was forced to do all of these things, shattering the community’s preconceived notions of the character.

This new information leads players to ask an important question: Why? Why would Miquella force Mohg to abduct his body from the base of the Haligtree? The player eventually finds out that Miquella had two reasons. First, this would give him the freedom to travel to the Land of Shadow, where he begins his plan to ascend to godhood. Second, he could have Mohg’s corpse to use after the player faces Mohg in the original game.

It is later learned from Ansbach, a former follower of Radahn, that Miquella took Mohg’s body and used it to resurrect his fallen brother Radahn. This was part of Miquella’s plan from the beginning, as Mohg’s body was needed to resurrect Radahn in his prime before the festival battle. This is obvious and can be seen when the player encounters him in the final battle, when they see Mohg’s distinctive horns protruding from Radahn’s new body, as well as in his use of Mogh’s Blood Flame technique.

Theories have always been an important part of FromSoftware’s games

The world of Elden Ring was never really straightforward. Much of the story is left intentionally open-ended, allowing players to discuss and formulate their own theories about what it all means. While many take the theories with a grain of salt, others have allowed the theories to cause major rifts in the gaming community, especially after Shadows of the earth trees release. However, it’s also safe to say that the theories and speculation will continue, as they are and always will be part of the fun of playing a Fromsoft game.