https://gamerant.com/elden-ring-shadow-erdtree-story-directions-miquella-godwyn-time-travel-eclipse/Based on its title and initial teaser art, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion could follow several potential story threads.
There is still some time to go before Elden Ring's DLC finally comes out. Fans have been speculating based on its title and lone promotional image for months now, and there's no telling if the clues they've found point to the expansion's narrative yet. Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to add a significant amount of content to Elden Ring, both in terms of gameplay and, hopefully, narrative. The base game, while telling a complete story, has some notable gaps in its lore that could still be filled.
Speculation for Shadow of the Erdtree has included many of these ideas, such as Queen Marika's past, who Melina is, the nature of the Gloam-Eyed Queen, and so on. However, just based on analyzing the name and promotional art, several likely directions emerge for the story of Elden Ring's DLC. That's not to say it won't answer other questions on the way, but the setting and primary NPC figures will probably adhere to one or more of these specific concepts.
Miquella and the World of Dreams
Elden Ring Miquella's cocoon
The one conclusion that almost every fan can agree on is that the Demigod Miquella is likely paramount to Shadow of the Erdtree's story. It's commonly assumed that the horseback figure on the poster is Miquella, and the presence of spirit objects, a flourishing field, and potentially the horse Torrent all recall some of Miquella's imagery. Miquella's body is currently stuck in Mohg’s palace, but this DLC may pick up Elden Ring's cut St. Trina quest line and explore a parallel world of dreams, an idealized form of the Lands Between that some manner of darkness is seeping into.
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Chances are good that Godwyn's corpse is the source of that darkness. After having become the first truly dead Demigod, the Prince of Death was entombed directly under the Erdtree in a vain attempt to return his soul to its cycle of reincarnation. Unfortunately, this seemingly allowed the first of Those Who Live In Death to leech off its power, spreading Godwyn's eyes and Deathroots wherever the Erdtree’s influence lies. No matter where Shadow of the Erdtree takes place, the strange, blackened tree in its poster points to Godwyn as the main threat.
An Eclipse Brings A Land Devoid of Grace
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Do Not Hold Breath For 2023 News
Even that poster’s background may hold important clues. The Erdtree's visage is omnipresent in the Lands Between, not just as its second sun but also to reinforce the Greater Will's control over reality. If an eclipse were to happen to the Erdtree, like how it appears in the poster, the definition of reality would loosen. This would give way to lands occupied by dreams, spirits, and Those Who Live In Death, the latter of which are associated with dusk and eclipses. After sporadic focus in the main game, these may be concentrated in the DLC, potentially giving Elden Ring's death-related concepts and factions like the Helphen lampwood and Black Knife Assassins better explanations.
Elden Ring's DLC May Be Rooted In The Past
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For now, the last hint for Shadow of the Erdtree is found in FromSoftware’s past Soulslike expansions. Time travel, or a vague mixture of time periods, is a common element in multiple Dark Souls' DLC and Bloodborne's The Old Hunters. Mysterious ruins seen in Shadow of the Erdtree's artwork could be foreshadowing this, but the truth is that time travel opens a lot of opportunities for exploring plot threads and NPCs that Elden Ring could not. Despite chance meetings with Marika or other historical figures sounding like tangents compared to dealing with the two remaining Demigods, they could still shed light on more of Elden Ring's mysteries.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
