Summary
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreetakes place on an entirely separate map from the base game, but it isn’t clear where the Land of Shadow is meant to be in the physical world of the game. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise to fans ofElden Ringor other FromSoftware games. These games rarely just come out and tell the player everything they need to know about the story. Figuring out the lore forElden Ringcan be just as difficult as some of thebosses inShadow of the Erdtree.
While there doesn’t seem to be one concrete answer to where the Land of Shadow is, there are some good hints.Elden Ring’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki has given some helpful information that gives a basic understanding of the Land of Shadow. From there, players have usedclues from the game’s story and its mapto try and pinpoint an exact locationforElden Ring’s DLC. Though there is no confirmation yet, it seems like a safe bet that some of these theorists have a pretty good idea of whereShadow of the Erdtreeis meant to take place.
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The Land Of Shadow Is Disconnected From The Lands Between
This Lore Detail Was Confirmed By Elden Ring’s Director
In an interview withIGN, Hidetaka Miyazaki gave some insight into whereElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreetakes place. When describing where the Land of Shadow is in relation to The Lands Between, Miyazaki said that thetwo are “physically disconnected,”specifically saying that there was a story explanation for it. This means that the map for theElden RingDLC doesn’t just take place on a separate map for logistical gameplay reasons, but it is also representative of the Land of Shadow’s physical separation from the rest ofElden Ring’s world.
This is reflected in how players travel to the Land of Shadow. Instead of taking some physical path from The Lands Between toShadow of the Erdtree’s map, players can only reach the new area through Miquella’s cocoon inMohg, Lord of Blood’s boss arena. From there, players are magically transported to the Land of Shadow. Although this answers where the Land of Shadow is, many players aren’t fully satisfied with that answer. They would also like to know where The Land of Shadow was originally.
The Land Of Shadow Was Once Part Of Elden Ring’s Main World
Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Region Has Strong Ties To Elden Ring History
In the same interview where he confirmed that the Land of Shadow has become physically separated from The Lands Between, Miyazaki also made it clear that this wasn’t always the case. The map’s Shaman Village area is where Queen Marika the Eternal was originally born before becoming a god. At some point, Marika left the Land of Shadow andhid the region from the rest of the Lands Betweento hide the evidence of her destruction of the Hornsent, the region’s former rulers.
Knowing that the Land of Shadow was once part ofElden Ring’s larger world has left some to wonder where it might have originally been in relation to the locations on the base game’s map. There seems to be a likely place where the Land of Shadow could have originally been, and some players have taken steps to prove it. While there is still no definitive location for where The Land of Shadow originally was, players seem to have narrowed it down to a pretty likely location onElden Ring’s original map.
Players Believe They Have Found The Location Of The
The Land Of Shadow Seems To Fit In The Map’s Central Sea
One area ofElden Ring’s map that seems to be a popular speculative location of the Land of Shadow is in the sea between Limgrave and the Atlus Plateau. Not only is it a large empty area on the map, it also seems to be around the right size for the DLC area. Reddit userZestyclose-South-379overlaid theShadow of the Erdtreemap into the area and it does seem to be about the right size. While some players have pointed out that this image seems to be the wrong scale and some landmarks aren’t perfect, it’s a good start.
Another hint that the Land of Shadow would be somewhere around this area is the area’s relationship to the Erdtree. As the titleShadow of the Erdtreesuggests, many believe the Scadutree’s base — where players fight the Scadutree Avatar — to bedirectly at the base of the Erdtree. The name Scadu Atlas for part of the region would also suggest that the Land of Shadow was in the shadow of the Atlus Plateau, which would also place it in this part ofElden Ring’s original map.
There are a few other hints that could point to theLand of Shadow originally being located in the central seaonElden Ring’s map. There is a large cloud on the original game’s map directly in the center of this area. This could be a subtle nod to the idea that something in the area is obscured. The land is also surrounded by water. While this makes sense for logistical purposes, as the game needs a definitive border, it could also hint that the Land of Shadow was originally in this sea.
Why Was The Land Of Shadow Disconnected?
Marika Seems To Have Hidden The Land From The World
When discussing the former and current location of the Land of Shadow, there is also the underlying question of why this area was separated in the first place. One solid theory is thatMarika wanted a place to seal Messmeraway, as he could be a threat to the Erdtree. Similar to the Fire Giants, whose god Marika killed, Messmer seemingly has the ability to burn the tree, making him a serious threat. It has also been suggested that Marika wished to hide her crusade against the Hornsent, who she all but eradicated with the help of Messmer.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeseems to be the last entry into the story ofElden Ring. FromSoftware currently has no plans for a sequel or any more DLC for the game. While these mysteries about the Land of Shadow may still be solved by combing through obscure lore references in the game, it is likely players will be left without one definitive answer for them. Still, these theories seem to be pretty strong and are likely the best that players can hope to expect in terms of answers regarding the Land of Shadow’s location.
