Summary
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeincludes an exciting new story that adds a lot toElden Ring’s base game, but one of its side quests really should have been turned into part of the main story. Though allside quests inShadow of the Erdtreeoffer some interesting depth to the Land of Shadow and the events happening there, one, in particular, seems almost essential for fully understanding the main quest ofElden Ring’s DLC. Though players will have to challenge one ofthe difficult Remembrance bossesto complete this quest, the story is well worth it.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s story.]
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s storyis told in the typical FromSoftware fashion. Not all of the information players need is explicitly spelled out for them, instead, they must go searching for answers through optional areas and item descriptions. This side quest inShadow of the Erdtreehas so much extra knowledge,players will want to make sure they seek it outduring their playthrough to understand the full context of the DLC.
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Thiollier’s Quest Clarifies Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Story
In the Gravesite Plain, near the Pillar Path Cross Site of Grace, players will meet an NPC named Thollier. Thollier will tell the player that he has been led to the Land of Shadow by Miquella. To properly start Thollier’s important quest, players willneed to breakMiquella’s Great Rune. Players will be notified the rune is broken after approaching the Shadow Keep.
Once Miquella’s rune is broken, players will need tohead to the Stone Coffin Fissure and locate St. Trina. The Putrescent Knight guards St. Trina in the Garden of Deep Purple. Once the player has defeated the boss and located St. Trina, they are ready to head back to Thollier and begin his questline.
Thiollier is enthralled with St. Trina and will be eager to seek her out. Once the player tells him where to go, Thiollier will head to the Garden of Deep Purple. Players should follow and continue his quest, which involvesdrinking St. Trina’s nectar. Though this quest is somewhat shunted to the side and does not seem all that important to the game’s overall narrative, it actually has a lot of deeper implications forShadow of the Erdtree’s story. Though it doesn’t advance the narrative, it provides an important context for the main events of the DLC.
Miquella’s Crosses In This Quest Reveal Important Information
Miquella’s Crosses Tell Players What Part Of Himself Miquella Discarded
Throughout the Land of Shadow, players encounter many of Miquella’s crosses. These are locations where Miquella shed a part of himself on the path toward godhood. As prolific Soulsborne YouTuberVaatiVidyapoints out in hisShadow of the Erdtreevideo, players will encountertwo of the most important crosseson their way to find St. Trina.
At one cross, Miquella is said to have abandoned his “doubt and vacillation [or indecision],” at another, it says Miquella has abandoned his love. While abandoning one’s doubt may seem like a good thing on its face, it could also make one more reckless. If Miquella is no longer questioning his decisions, that may mean he is making them too hastily. Add to this the idea that Miquella has discarded his love, and this notion becomes even more alarming.
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If Miquella becomes a god who makes decisions quickly and also does not factor love and compassion into those decisions, it likely means that he will not be the best god. As players continue through Thiollier’s quest, they will only begiven more reason to doubt Miquella’s motives. This is especially true when players learn more about Miquella’s discarded other half, St. Trina.
St. Trina’s Request Gives The Player Insight Into Miquella’s Fate
St. Trina Asks The Player To Defeat Miquella
It seems to make sense that players find St. Trina at the place where Miquella discarded her love. Thiollier, like others in the Lands Between, speaks highly of St. Trina and longs for her gift of eternal sleep. It would seem that many in the Lands Between welcome St. Trina’s gift as an alternative to their endless lives. This, coupled with St. Trina seemingly being the embodiment of Miquella’s love, would likely mean that players can trust St. Trina to have good intentions. So, when St. Trina requests that the player kill Miquella, they know there must be a reason.
After drinking St. Trina’s nectar and dying for a fourth time, St. Trina will speak to players and tell them to stop Miquella before he becomes a god. Although St. Trina has been discarded by Miquella, this request isn’t made out of malice, but instead out of concern for Miquella. St. Trina says that Miquella becoming a god would be his “prison,” and that he would be “beyond saving.” St. Trina will also die if Miquella does, so it isn’t like she has anything to gain from this request.
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AsMiquella is the main antagonistofShadow of the Erdtree, getting this insight into his path to godhood and the possible fate that lies in store for him is pretty important for understanding the major events of the story. Players who miss out on Thollier’s quest might be a little confused about Miquella’s plan and may not fully understand the parts of himself that he gave up to become a god. Players may also lack the proper motivation to understand why they should care about defeating Miquella.
Thiollier’s Quest Gives Players Their Reason To Defeat Miquella
Players May Not Know Why They Are Killing Miquella Without This Context
From a gameplay standpoint, players will have an easy reason why they should want to defeat Miquella: he is part ofShadow of the Erdtree’s final boss. However, players who still think of him as Miquella the Kind may be unsure from a story standpoint why Miquella is suddenly the big bad of the DLC. Though there are other hints, like the fact thatMiquella has brainwashed his followersin the Land of Shadow, players may still have some doubts about defeating Miquella who may seem like he has good intentions.
By following Thiollier’s quest and speaking with St. Trina, the player understands thatMiquella becoming a god wouldn’t be a good choicefor him. The knowledge that Miquella has discarded his more loving half in the form of St. Trina also indicates that he may not be the best type of god. Combine this information with the implications that Miquella would likely use his mind-controlling abilities en masse once becoming a god, and the player now has a good reason to take down Miquella from a narrative standpoint, too.
Given how important Thiollier’s quest is to understandingShadow of the Erdtree’s overall narrative and its main antagonist, it feels like it should have been rolled into the DLC’s main quest. However, it being optional side content does seem more on-brand for FromSoftware. In a game where so much of the story is hidden in item descriptions, players should honestly be thankful that all this important backstory is even given a full sidequest and voice lines.
