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The story of the base Elden Ring game is quite vague and even confusing. Many players hope that the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will give some answers and shed some light on the mysterious past of Marika and the fate of Miquella. Although this expansion gives a lot of explanations, it also brings up a lot of questions. It is unsurprising if many players are still confused about the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC story and need someone to explain the ending to them.
A Land Plagued by an Endless War
Our tale begins with the Tarnished slaying the Lord of Blood and meeting a new character called Needle Knight, Leda. The woman asks if you’re also following Miquella, who has gone to the Realm of Shadow to become a god. In order to reach this hidden land, he has discarded various parts of himself and is now waiting for his promised lord.
The Tarnished doesn’t know much about the demi-god. So far in the story, we only understand that Miquella is Malenia’s sibling and was kidnapped by Mohg in the Elden Ring base game. In the end, we decide to touch the withered arm and are immediately whisked to the Realm of Shadow.
This hidden land is a place plagued by endless war. According to numerous people we’ll meet, Marika and his son, Mesmer, have been fighting a race called Hornsent. They are horned people who once ruled this land before Marika became a god and established the Golden Order. Despite their power, they lose the war and are barely surviving when we arrive.
While the Tarnished encounters numerous enemies, they also meet a group of people who follow in Miquella’s footsteps. This eventually leads us to Belurat City, where we defeat the Divine Beast Dancing Lion. Unfortunately, shadow thorns block our path to the demi-god, and we must find a way to burn them down.
Mesmer, the Abandoned Son
Leda left a note that tells us to head east, where we may find a way to move forward. The Tarnished must pass through Castle Ensis, which is protected by Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight.
Despite her might, we defeat her and continue onward. Before us stands the towering and ominous Shadow Keep, where the horrifying Mesmer the Impaler resides. He is one of Marika’s sons and has been the leader behind the endless war against the Hornsent people.
Mesmer’s story is another sad tale in Shadow of the Erdtree. Although Marika seems to love her son, she is also afraid of the Abyssal Serpent inside him. She gives him an Iris of Grace to halt the influence of this dark power. Despite not seeing him for a long time, Mesmer still longs for his mother.
Yet he cannot stand having the Tarnished become an Elden Lord, and so he plucks out the eye and uses his full might in an attempt to kill us. Despite his effort, we still defeat him and claim his powerful fire, which can burn down the shadow thorns.
Marika and the Cycle of Hatred
If you keep exploring the Shadow Keep, you can discover a hidden settlement on the east side. The Shaman Village is Marika’s home, but it has long been abandoned. It seems that the Shamans were heavily persecuted by the Hornsent people.
According to a spirit near Bonny Village, they were stuffed into jars and forced into “sainthood” because of the Hornsent’s religious practice. The Tooth Whip description says that the flesh of Shamans can meld harmoniously with others. If you’ve explored the Belurat and Bonny Gaols, you may have already encountered the ill-fated Shamans.
After seeing her family and friends disappear one by one, Marika decided to become a god to exact revenge on the Hornsent people. While this does not justify her horrible actions, this development gives extra depth to her character and the story of Elden Ring.
Before, we could not understand why Marika was so power-hungry and cruel, but now, we can somewhat sympathize with her pain. This does not make her free of blame, but it feels like Shadow of the Erdtree wants to explore the story and folly of the cycle of hatred.
Miquella, the Misguided
The story of Miquella is only fully explored during the ending of the Elden Ring DLC. After burning down the shadow thorns, the Tarnished is immediately transported to Enir-Ilim. Marika ascended to godhood in this location, and her son plans to do the same. We fight our way up until Leda and her allies stop our path before the boss arena.
At the start of our journey in the Realm of Shadow, Miquella’s followers are being charmed by his power. When we got close to the Shadow Keep, the demi-god destroyed his Great Rune and broke his spell on the group. While some remain loyal, others begin to harbor doubt.
If you follow Ansbach’s and Thiollier’s quest lines, the two warriors will stand alongside you in battles. Unfortunately for Leda, the Tarnished had taken down far more powerful foes, and her group was defeated. In the end, we finally have our chance to face Miquella.
Miquella plans to become a god, with Radahn as his consort. Although we killed Radahn during the festival, Miquella has revived him using Mohg’s body. The newly born god wishes to build an Age of Compassion and create a gentler world for everyone.
Another God Bites the Dust
Despite his good intentions, Miquella has performed various questionable and even horrible acts, from charming and stealing Mohg’s body to erasing Ansbach’s memories. It’s quite difficult to fully side with Miquella after experiencing Shadow of the Erdtree story. Even his other self, Saint Trina, asks us to kill him and prevent him from becoming a god.
Personally, I don’t believe Miquella to be a power-hungry and narcissistic character. I think Miquella deeply cares about his sister and many people. He truly wishes to stop the bloodshed and wants to make a better world than Marika’s Golden Order. Perhaps after discarding his love and Saint Trina in his desperation, Miquella’s visions and actions became more distorted. While his new Age could be gentler, it would also be a world without free will.
So, at the end of Elden Ring DLC, the Tarnished stops Miquella and his consort’s upcoming Age of Compassion. After all, if we let him continue down this path, he may perpetuate Marika’s mistakes and repeat another cycle.
