Summary
Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtreeis huge, going beyond any previously released FromSoftware DLC. As usual, FromSoftware dropped the story trailer on a random Tuesday without any warning, leaving us all confused about the lore surrounding the Land of Shadow and the direction the story is headed for Elden Ring.
Though a lot of things about the trailer were left purposefully vague in classic Soulsborne fashion to encourage speculation, there are probably a few obvious things most fans missed. For those wondering at some of the references in the trailer we shed some light onto what to expect from the DLC.
6An Affair Of Gold And Shadow
Within the first couple of dialogues of the story trailer, we hear the Narrator mentioning a seduction and a betrayal from which gold arose that also gave birth to shadow. Now this line could mean a lot of different things and went over most fans' heads.
Does this mean that the Lands Between and the Land of Shadow both came into existence at the same time?There are a lot of theories, but one thing’s for sure: whoever Marika presumably seduced and betrayed contributed to the creation of the Golden Order in some way.
5Grace Sites In The Land Of Shadow
Grace sites in the Lands Between are little sprites of Grace that you can sit around and have marked on the map, similar to how the bonfire in Dark Souls operates. But, according to lore, there is little Grace to be found in the Land of Shadow, and so we havewhat looks to be Miquella’s Great Rune as a substitute.
Instead of Grace Sites, you’ll now have a Great Rune to sit around and teleport between important locations, and though this part of the game hasn’t been confirmed, it’s highly likely to be the case.
4The Narrator And NPCs
The Narrator of the story trailer was initially thought to have been Miquella, as a lot of fans speculated that to be the case in the gameplay trailer as well. However, this does not seem to be true as she describes the sacrifices Miquella made to reach the Land of Shadow, by ridding himself of his strength, lineage, and his own fate.
She reveals herself as a loyal follower of Miquella and is probably one of the NPCs shown in the shot next to Miquella’s Great Rune. All these NPCs have a unique vibe to them: one that looks like a strength user and is dressed the part, and the Kung Fu master with a hat from the first trailer.
3Marika’s Ascension To Godhood
The first segment of the trailer features Marika, not Miquella as a lot of people (including me) initially thought, and with some evidence like Marika’s bracelet, it can be safely assumed that Marika is the one holding the strands of golden hair in the air. Though it’s unclear what exactly is happening in the scene, what we do know is that Marika became a God after leaving the Land of Shadow and this could be how.
The Narrator mentions seduction and betrayal, followed by Marika pulling out (rather grossly) strands of golden hair from something that looks like a body while surrounded by other bodies in a bloody mess. It’s speculated that this is how she made the Erdtree, by giving its roots the blood it needs to bloom, and perhaps the Golden Hair has something to do with it.
2Messmer’s War
After Marika’s ascension, she presumably ordered Messmer to completely destroy the locals of the Land of Shadow. It was a massacre, a one-sided ‘war’ to erase a part of history that would benefit Marika in one way or another. Messmer engulfs the area in fire, burns everything down, and uses flame incantations that move in a snake-like manner.
We then see him having impaled multiple Lion Dancers, showing just how brutal and ruthless he is. We don’t even knowhow Messmer is related to Marika yet, though it points to the fact that Marika is probably his mother. Regardless, Messmer loyally followed the orders and razed the population to the ground with his flame.
1St. Trina
It was theorized before and heavily implied thatMiquella and St. Trina were the same person as both their lilieslook very similar to each other. St. Trina is also described as a youthful character just like Miquella, capable of sleep incantations to ease the suffering of the people in the Lands Between.
In the story trailer, the Narrator mentions that Miquella abandoned his fate suddenly, in line with St. Trina’s sudden disappearance, and shows a falling Miquella in a purple hue reminiscent of St. Trina’s color scheme. FromSoftware practically confirmed their identity with this one frame, and there is little doubt remaining about who St. Trina actually is.
